Advanced Practice Registered Nurses Student Cross-Specialty Procedural Training: Effective Collaboration and Student...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Simulation
• Advanced Practice Nursing

Background:

• Intraprofessional simulation and training in acute care nursing specialties can foster collaboration.
• This approach aims to enhance safe and high-quality patient care through shared learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate intraprofessional simulations for advanced practice nursing students.
• To assess the impact of simulation on learner confidence, clinical judgment, and perceived practice benefits.

Main Methods:

• Multiple intraprofessional simulations were conducted across the lifespan, including adult and pediatric scenarios.
• Simulations covered critical skills such as airway management, point-of-care ultrasound, vascular access, chest tube placement, and lumbar puncture.
• Faculty and simulation resources were shared across participating nursing specialties.

Main Results:

• Over five years, 235 graduate students from three advanced practice nursing specialties participated.
• Learner feedback indicated increased confidence in clinical skills.
• Participants reported a perceived benefit to their future practice and enhanced clinical judgment.

Conclusions:

• Standardized, validated assessments are needed to quantitatively measure skill acquisition.
• Expansion of intraprofessional simulation offerings is recommended.
• Future directions include developing interprofessional simulations with physician assistant and perfusionist colleagues.