Pondering practice: Enhancing the art of reflection.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Patient Safety
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Medication administration errors are a significant patient safety concern, often exacerbated by interruptions in clinical settings.
• Undergraduate nurses typically learn medication administration in controlled environments, contrasting with the high-stress, interruption-prone reality of clinical practice.
• Effective management of interruptions is crucial for nurses to ensure patient safety during medication administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of immersive simulation and guided reflection on undergraduate nurses' understanding of stressful environments.
• To assess how these experiences influence nurses' emotions, performance, and safe medication administration.
• To investigate the relationship between simulation, reflection, and the ability to manage interruptions during medication administration.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative approach utilizing role-play simulation and written reflections.
• Convenience sampling of second-year undergraduate nursing students (n=451).
• Thematic analysis of data to explore students' understanding of interruptions' effects on safe medication administration.

Main Results:

• Students reported increased self-awareness and recognized the importance of reflection for performance evaluation.
• Self-awareness, communication, compassion, and empathy were identified as key factors for self-efficacy and improved patient care.
• Participants gained new knowledge and skills related to patient safety and compassionate care during medication administration.

Conclusions:

• Immersive simulation and reflection foster self-awareness and enhance understanding of stress in clinical practice.
• These experiences equip student nurses with strategies for safer, more empathetic, and compassionate medication administration.
• Simulated environments provide a valuable platform for developing critical skills to reduce medication errors and improve patient outcomes.