Replacing community clinical hours with an antepartum simulation-based experience

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Community Health
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Securing clinical sites for large nursing cohorts is a persistent challenge in community and population health education.
• Limited availability at specialty sites, like women's health, restricts student numbers and clinical experience consistency.
• Simulation is recognized in literature as a viable alternative to traditional clinical hours.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a simulation-based antepartum experience in a community setting.
• To replace traditional clinical hours with a more interactive simulation.
• To enhance student engagement in communication, patient education, and anticipatory guidance.

Main Methods:

• Development of an antepartum simulation experience by faculty at a southeastern university.
• Focus on key obstetrics and maternal health assessment elements.
• Utilization of standardized patients for a realistic clinical scenario.

Main Results:

• Post-simulation surveys indicated high student confidence.
• 96% of students strongly agreed they were more confident in communicating with clients.

Conclusions:

• The simulation-based experience is an effective alternative to traditional antepartum clinical experiences.
• This method addresses challenges in providing consistent clinical experiences for nursing students.