The development of an elearning program on the response and recognition of the deteriorating patient using self-study...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Education
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Ongoing training needs in Australian hospitals necessitate innovative solutions.
• A knowledge gap exists in recognizing and responding to deteriorating patients.
• eLearning offers a scalable approach to address these training requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an eLearning program for nurses.
• To improve recognition and response to deteriorating patients.
• To integrate human factors education into nursing training.

Main Methods:

• A self-study methodology was employed for simultaneous development and evaluation.
• Critical friends provided input during the planning and development phases.
• A cohort of nurses participated in pre/post-test questionnaires and focus groups.

Main Results:

• Nurses found the interactive case study game valuable for self-reflection.
• The eLearning program increased nurses' confidence in managing deteriorating patients.
• Participants reported improved skills in reading track and trigger charts and applying human factors education.

Conclusions:

• eLearning programs can effectively enhance nurses' confidence and skills.
• Human factors education integrated into eLearning can improve patient care.
• This approach may lead to better patient outcomes in Australian hospitals.