Simulation as a Central Feature of an Elective Course: Does Simulated Bedside Care Impact Learning?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Pharmacy Education

Background:

• Simulation-based learning is increasingly utilized in medical education.
• Emergency medicine electives offer valuable clinical experience for pharmacy students.
• Assessing the impact of different simulation roles on learning outcomes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare exam performance of pharmacy students in an emergency medicine simulation course based on their role (active observer vs. bedside clinical care).
• To evaluate student satisfaction with the simulation-based emergency medicine elective course.

Main Methods:

• A three-credit, simulation-based emergency medicine elective course was conducted over two years.
• Doctor of pharmacy students were assigned roles as active observers or bedside clinical care participants.
• Student performance was assessed via exams, and satisfaction was measured using Likert scale surveys.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in examination performance was found between students in the evaluator and clinical roles (p > 0.05 for all comparisons).
• Students reported high satisfaction, with strong agreement on most course aspects.
• All students agreed or strongly agreed with 17 out of 19 satisfaction statements.

Conclusions:

• Both direct participation and active observation in simulation-based learning are equally effective for enhancing student understanding in emergency medicine.
• Simulation-based education is a valuable and satisfactory learning modality for doctor of pharmacy students.
• The findings support the integration of diverse simulation roles to maximize learning in pharmacy curricula.