Design and implementation of an interdisciplinary pediatric mock code for undergraduate and graduate nursing students

Higher patient acuity and shortage of healthcare professionals have led to an expansion in the role and responsibilities for nurses, and ultimately, nursing students. Nursing faculty are challenged to develop strategies based on core competencies to obtain optimal practice within this complex system. Use of patient simulators is an effective strategy as it allows for deliberate practice of skills and standardized exposure to limited scenarios. The rarity of pediatric codes and opportunities for students to interact in teams led faculty to develop an interdisciplinary pediatric mock code simulation. Senior baccalaureate students function as members of a pediatric code team with emergency nurse practitioner students as code team leaders. Student preparation included Web-based information and an interactive class on code skills and team communication during a sentinel event. The scenario incorporated team roles and family-centered care. The debriefing session reinforced the evidence and reviewed quality improvement and safety through error identification and patient consequences. A total of 43 BSN students and 12 emergency nurse practitioner students participated. The simulation was rated very highly for realism, enjoyment, concept clarification in debriefing, increasing knowledge base, ability to function in the clinical setting, and increasing confidence in caring for a critically ill infant.