Informationists and Nurse Educators Partner to Integrate a Virtual Dissection Table into a Nursing Curriculum

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Informatics
• Anatomy Education

Background:

• Critical care nurses require specialized anatomical knowledge.
• Traditional anatomy education methods may have limitations.
• Integrating innovative technologies can enhance nursing curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the integration of a Sectra Virtual Dissection Table into a Critical Care Nurse Residency Program (CCNRP).
• To assess nurse residents' satisfaction with the virtual dissection table.
• To measure the impact of the technology on perceived anatomical knowledge.

Main Methods:

• A pilot program incorporated the Sectra Virtual Dissection Table into the CCNRP curriculum at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
• 106 nurses utilized the Sectra Table as part of their seven-week residency.
• Post-course surveys were administered to gather data on satisfaction and knowledge perception.

Main Results:

• The Sectra Virtual Dissection Table was successfully integrated into the CCNRP curriculum.
• Nurse residents reported positive satisfaction with the virtual dissection table.
• Participants perceived an improvement in their anatomical knowledge after using the technology.

Conclusions:

• The Sectra Virtual Dissection Table is a valuable tool for enhancing critical care nurse education.
• Virtual dissection technology can effectively supplement traditional anatomy instruction.
• Further integration of such technologies holds promise for improving nursing training outcomes.