Introducing Nursing Students to Pastoral Care Providers Via Simulation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing
• Spiritual Care

Background:

• End-of-life care education is crucial for nursing students.
• Integrating interprofessional team members can enhance simulation-based learning.
• The role of spiritual care in holistic patient outcomes requires further exploration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nursing students' perceptions of including pastoral care providers in an end-of-life simulation.
• To evaluate the impact of interprofessional collaboration on learning spiritual aspects of nursing care.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method study incorporating qualitative analysis of debriefing sessions.
• Inclusion of priests as pastoral care providers in a mock code simulation.
• Assessment of undergraduate nursing students' perceptions.

Main Results:

• Students reported increased awareness of the pastoral care provider's role in healthcare.
• Students recognized the importance of spiritual considerations in end-of-life care.
• Simulation participation enhanced learning regarding spirituality in nursing.

Conclusions:

• Pastoral care integration in end-of-life simulations effectively enhances nursing students' understanding of spiritual care.
• Interprofessional collaboration with spiritual care providers is beneficial for holistic nursing education.
• Simulation scenarios can be valuable tools for teaching the spiritual dimension of patient care.