Honors Program
University Honors
Date of Award
5-2012
Thesis Professor(s)
Shane Keene
Thesis Professor Department
Allied Health Sciences
Thesis Reader(s)
Randy Byington
Abstract
Many academic medical programs present students with the chance to experience scenario based learning. This is often achieved through the use of clinical simulation laboratories which utilize computer-based scenarios that realistically imitate the human body and how it responds to various situations. This interactive style of learning has proven to be successful at integrating theories taught in textbooks and practice gained through clinical experience without posing any harm to human patients. Literature has shown documentation of the effectiveness of using clinical simulation laboratories in both the academic and clinical setting; however, some clinical facilities have been slow to adapt the use of this technology. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors are deterring the use of clinical simulation labs for the purpose of continuing education in the hospital setting. The study was limited to the field of respiratory therapy. The study was conducted by sending surveys to respiratory therapists and administrators working in acute care facilities in the Northeast region of Tennessee and the Southwest region of Virginia. The surveys included various questions concerning knowledge and perceptions of clinical simulation labs. The surveys were coded using a modified Likert scale, and the data was input into SPSS Version 18.0. Sample t-tests were then run where appropriate. Therapists indicated a preference for learning through the use of clinical simulation labs as opposed to learning through textbooks alone. Administrators indicated a knowledge of the benefits of clinical simulation labs even though the majority are not currently using the technology in their facilities.
Document Type
Honors Thesis - Open Access
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Carney, Caitlin, "Clinical Simulation Laboratories: Bridging the gap between academia and the private care hospital setting." (2012). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 41. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/41
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.