Development and Evaluation of an Ebola High Fidelity Simulation Scenario for Baccalaureate Nursing Students: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Recent events in the United States have sparked attention to improve processes for identifying and treating individuals with known or suspected cases of Ebola. Since it is unlikely nursing students will encounter Ebola patients in practicum experiences, a school of nursing located in metropolitan New Orleans met this call through the provision of a safe, controlled, and experiential learning environment for its students in the form of high-fidelity simulation (HFS; Jeffries, 2012). The current literature did not include a readily available HFS scenario focusing on the care of an Ebola patient for undergraduate nursing students. Due to the complex nature of Ebola care, which involves specific personal protection equipment (PPE) procedures, the researchers developed an Ebola simulation scenario which focused on donning and doffing of PPE specific to Ebola patient care. Fidelity was increased through the inclusion of a fluorescing agent to highlight the potential for Ebola contamination. Following IRB approval, seven senior level undergraduate nursing students were recruited for the study. For confidentiality, each participant was assigned a unique identifier. The descriptive research design was implemented in one-phase. Participants were provided with a description of the scenario objectives, orientation to the simulation lab, patient report, and time to discuss their roles, nursing priorities, and interventions. A debriefing session focused on donning and doffing of PPE. At the conclusion of debriefing, the participants completed a 54-item survey. The results of the study will be forthcoming.