Teaching Health Policy Advocacy Using Virtual Simulation

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Policy Advocacy
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates require health policy advocacy competence.
• A gap exists in DNP graduates' practical health policy advocacy skills.
• Online DNP programs need effective assessment methods for policy advocacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an authentic assessment for DNP students' health policy advocacy skills.
• To enhance DNP students' ability to create and defend health policy through simulation.
• To bridge the gap between DNP education and real-world health policy advocacy demands.

Main Methods:

• Designed a virtual simulation incorporating policy brief creation and stakeholder defense.
• Implemented the simulation for online Doctor of Nursing Practice students.
• Assessed student-reported skill and knowledge acquisition post-simulation.

Main Results:

• Students successfully created policy briefs at various governmental levels.
• The virtual simulation provided a platform for practicing policy defense with stakeholders.
• Participants reported significant gains in skills and knowledge for proficient health policy advocacy.

Conclusions:

• Virtual simulation is an effective tool for teaching health policy advocacy to DNP students.
• This authentic assessment method prepares DNP graduates for real-world policy challenges.
• The study highlights the importance of practical advocacy training in DNP curricula.