Elective course in acute care using online learning and patient simulation.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Medical Simulation
• Acute Care Management

Background:

• Effective management of acutely ill patients requires strong knowledge and critical-thinking skills.
• Traditional educational methods may not fully prepare students for complex clinical scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a blended learning approach on pharmacy students' skills.
• To enhance knowledge and critical-thinking in acute care patient management.

Main Methods:

• Students engaged in weekly online modules covering critical care and pharmacotherapy.
• Group simulation exercises involved developing and presenting pharmacotherapeutic plans.
• Debriefing sessions facilitated critical analysis of patient care decisions.

Main Results:

• Significant score improvements were observed in 9 out of 10 assessments (p ≤ 0.05).
• Student performance on final evaluations surpassed midterm evaluations.
• High student satisfaction reported regarding the realistic simulation environment.

Conclusions:

• A combination of self-directed online learning and patient simulation effectively boosts pharmacy students' acute care expertise.
• This educational model enhances critical-thinking and knowledge application in managing critically ill patients.