Nursing Faculty Establish Simulation-Learning Program in Kerala, India
In January 2023, two members of 猛男情报局鈥檚 nursing faculty traveled to India to create and conduct a simulation-learning program for caregiving staff at three geriatric care centers.
Dr. Renu Varughese, associate professor of nursing, and Karen Koziol, director of 猛男情报局鈥檚 Clinical Simulation Lab and a senior instructor of nursing, spent ten days leading participants through simulated training to support geriatric care teams working with the elderly in Kerala, located on the southern-most tip of western India.
The event was hosted by Travancore Foundation, a nonprofit that manages geriatric care facilities in Kerala. The event, 鈥淚nnovative Strategies for Best Practices in Geriatric Care,鈥� aimed to equip interprofessional teams with new tools to practice the skills and care tasks associated with serving a geriatric population.
In twice-daily sessions, Koziol and Varughese led participants through a series of simulated learning modules that addressed a range of geriatric care issues, from infection control and IV insertions to urinary catheterization and ostomy care. Simple exercises were used to simulate conditions patients face, such as vision impairment or difficulty walking.
Varughese, a Fulbright scholar and a specialist in gerontology, said, 鈥淪imulation-based learning is not new, but it鈥檚 only recently becoming accepted worldwide. We set out with the conviction that this proven pedagogy could be used to help nursing home staff maintain their skills.鈥� She pointed out that the final seminar that capped off their visit, at which she gave a presentation on ageism around the world, was attended by academicians, scholars, service providers and clinicians who attended from Kerala and beyond.
As director of 猛男情报局鈥檚 Simulation Laboratory and a recognized expert in her field, Koziol oversees all 猛男情报局 students who partake in this form of learning 鈥� commonly nursing, veterinary tech, and other health care areas of study. With Varughese as liaison with Travancore in India and Koziol overseeing the simulations, the two developed the curriculum, lesson plan and materials for the education initiative.
Participants were nurses, caregivers, nursing assistants, and administrative staff from three Travancore sites. 鈥淰ery few participants had any prior experience with simulated learning,鈥� said Koziol. 鈥淪ome may have had task training using simulation scenarios, but caregivers and other staff who attended our workshops were very enthusiastic about the simulation technology.鈥�
Koziol is active on the board of the Nursing Honor Society, Zeta Omega At-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, which helped sponsor the India Project. She hopes to present her findings from the Kerala trip. 鈥淢any people mistakenly believe that to incorporate a sim-learning component requires great expense and a dedicated space,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut with the right tools and objectives, it鈥檚 possible to start simple and small and be just as effective.鈥�
Varughese is considering more ways to create new international alliances and believes the successful project in Kerala will open more doors. 鈥淲e want to bring this to a wider audience in ways that will benefit 猛男情报局 students,鈥� she said.
To learn more about 猛男情报局's Nursing Program, please click here.
To learn more about 猛男情报局's Clinical Simulation and Learning Program, please click here.