Taking High-Fidelity Simulation to the Next Level: Nursing in Nontraditional Environments

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Global Health
• Disaster Medicine

Background:

• Nurse educators face challenges in preparing students for non-traditional healthcare settings.
• Competent response in disaster, remote, and global health scenarios requires specialized training.
• Existing curricula may not adequately cover skills for environments outside traditional hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and describe a novel nursing course focused on nontraditional environments.
• To equip nursing students with essential knowledge and skills for disaster, remote/austere, and global health nursing.
• To integrate survival skills with evidence-based austere care practices.

Main Methods:

• Course development incorporating experiential learning.
• Curriculum merging survival skills with austere care principles.
• Utilizing evidence-based practices from US Military and Wilderness Medical Society.

Main Results:

• The course provides in-depth instruction in disaster nursing.
• Students gain knowledge and skills for remote/austere and global health settings.
• The curriculum effectively bridges survival techniques with medical care in challenging environments.

Conclusions:

• The Nursing in Nontraditional Environments course prepares students for diverse healthcare challenges.
• Experiential learning is key to developing competence in non-traditional nursing roles.
• This specialized training enhances nursing preparedness for global health and disaster response.