Case-based learning: Facilitating nurse practitioner clinical learning with virtual patient cases.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Simulation
• Digital Health Learning

Background:

• Case-based learning (CBL) aids nurse practitioner (NP) students in applying theoretical knowledge to clinical practice.
• Bridging the theory-practice gap is crucial for effective NP training.
• Virtual learning environments offer potential solutions for supplementing clinical experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the experiences of NP students utilizing virtual patient cases.
• To evaluate the usability and clinical learning value of a virtual patient case platform.
• To assess the impact on students' self-perceived ability to manage primary care problems.

Main Methods:

• Seven distance-learning family NP students completed 45 virtual patient cases over 8 weeks.
• Bloom's cognitive taxonomy guided the case design.
• System Usability Scale and Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale were used for measurement.

Main Results:

• Students reported high usability of the virtual learning platform.
• Students expressed satisfaction and increased self-confidence in their learning.
• Perceived ability to manage common primary care problems significantly improved across all case topics.

Conclusions:

• Well-designed virtual patient cases are effective tools for supplementing NP clinical learning.
• Virtual learning enhances NP students' practical skills and confidence.
• This approach offers a valuable alternative for clinical education in NP programs.