Understanding microbiological concepts and computerized surveillance: enhancing professional practice

This article describes a research study that explored whether registered professional nurses, when exposed to an experimental educational intervention that consisted of a simulated patient environment with staged microbiological concepts relating to reservoirs of infection and BOSS surveillance data reports, retain the concepts of microbiology and can apply these concepts in clinical practice. The design of this research project was quasi-experimental with triangulation of a qualitative dimension as all experimental group participants were interviewed at the completion of this study. Implications concerning nursing curricula and inservice education programs in health care facilities are discussed.