http://hdl.handle.net/11434/178 2026-03-14T18:28:15Z http://hdl.handle.net/11434/2400 Title: Hybrid education increases nurses’ skills in management of deteriorating patients: A QUASI-experimental study. Epworth Authors: Noye, Suzie; Breen, Mick Abstract: Background: There is a need to develop acute care nurses’ skills in identifying and managing clinical deterioration. Aim: To evaluate the impact of a hybrid (online and simulation-based) education program on improving recognition and response to deteriorating patients. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2023 on two wards within a large, regional health care provider in Victoria, Australia. Thirty-nine (53.4%) participating ward nurses completed the program. Participants were surveyed before and after program participation and six to eight weeks later. Changes in evaluation scores were compared using paired T-tests. Administrative datasets were accessed to compare Medical Emergency Team call activation rates using process control charts. Findings: A total of 79 evaluation surveys were collected across the three timepoints. There was a statistically significant increase between pre- and post-intervention, in self-reported confidence for all measured indicators (p-values <.05). Large effects (d > 0.8) were found for certainty of advocating for the patient, performing a rapid assessment, performing effective airway assessment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and making an interprofessional plan. There was a trend for increased rates of Medical Emergency Team call escalations and a decrease in Code Blue calls over the follow-up time period. Discussion: Use of a hybrid simulation-based approach improved nurses’ knowledge and confidence to recognise and respond to deterioration, increased early escalation of care, and decreased Code Blue calls. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence that the emphasis of mandatory training should change from focusing on provision of Basic Life Support to developing clinicians’ skills in detection and response to deterioration. 2025-09-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11434/2101 Title: Evaluation of the effectiveness of an eLearning program in the nursing observation and assessment of acute surgical patients: A naturalistic observational study. Epworth Authors: Glanville Abstract: Aim/objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an eLearn program in changing surgical nurses' approach to clinical assessment. Background: Nurses need to have the knowledge and skills to recognise and respond to changes in patients' physiological condition in a timely manner. A private health service in Melbourne, Australia developed an online (eLearn) program highlighting the importance of clinical assessment and provided nurses with an overview of the Airway,Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposures ('ABCDE') approach. Design: A before and after study design that involved naturalistic observation of nurse-patient interactions and nurses' performing patient clinical assessments was undertaken on two surgical wards. Methods: The intervention ward nurses received standard education and exposure to the eLearning program. The comparison ward nurses received standard workplace education on patient assessment. The nurses were observed from May to August 2018. Results: Following completion of the eLearn, intervention ward nurses were observed to spend more time with their patients conducting clinical assessment. On both wards, not all nurses performed comprehensive ABCDE assessment and there was variability associated with the sequencing of ABCDE assessment. Conclusions: This study provides some evidence that completion of an eLearn can change clinical practice, however the intensity of the intervention was insufficient to achieve optimal practice in the conduct of clinical assessments. 2021-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11434/2087 Title: In-verse reflection: structured creative writing exercises to promote reflective learning in medical students. Epworth Authors: Richardson, Martin Abstract: Medical educators recognize the value of reflection for medical students and the role creative writing can play in fostering this. However, direct creative writing tasks can be challenging for many students, particularly those with limited experience in the arts and humanities. An alternative strategy is to utilize an indirect approach, engaging students with structured tasks that obliquely encourage reflection. This paper reports one such approach. We refer to this approach as in-verse reflection, playing on both the structure of the writing and its novel approach to reflection. Students were invited to write, in verse-like structures, about their personal and clinical experiences as medical students. Thematic analysis of their creative outputs and reactions identified four principal themes: the challenges of life as a medical student, the emotional demands of the medical course, a sense of connectedness and solidarity with fellow students, and a sense of marginality within the hospital system. Students generally found the tasks highly engaging and conducive to reflection, producing texts representing significant insights into their experiences as medical students. The reported method offers a relatively simple, structured, and guided approach to reflective writing, adding to the repertoire of methods available to educators in the medical humanities. 2022-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11434/1896 Title: Evaluation of a blended learning approach to developing specialty-nursing practice: an exploratory descriptive qualitative study. Epworth Authors: Tebbs, Owen; Hutchinson, Anastasia; Botti, Mari; Lau, Rosalind Abstract: Background An ageing population and a transitioning workforce is creating demands on healthcare workforces. Clinical and procedural knowledge deficits cause anxieties in new and experienced nurses alike when integrating into new teams. Overcoming these boundaries can be achieved with Introductory programs. These develop knowledge, technical skills and non-technical skills. Investigating nurses drive to undertake such programs, and the benefits they perceive for themselves, will help to tailor future programs. Objectives To explore post-registration nurses' motivations for undertaking an introductory program that utilised a blended learning methodology. Identifying changes in participants understanding and clinical behaviours. Methods An exploratory descriptive qualitative study design was used to evaluate the Introduction to Specialty Practice (ISP) program that is run by a large private healthcare provider in Melbourne, Australia. The health service includes eight campuses and four intensive care units across the group. Twelve participants from a mixture of critical care and acute care clinical areas were consented. They were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Responses were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis of the transcripts then occurred. Results The study demonstrated intrinsic and extrinsic factors influenced participant's desires to undertake this program. Three major themes were evident: 1) that caring without knowledge was daunting, 2) that participants needed to create a clinical and professional identity and 3) that participant's perspective on their delivery of care improved, along with their professional aptitude. Conclusion Maintaining currency with knowledge, skills, and technological developments is crucial for nurses to consistently deliver high-level care. The demands that nurses' face within their clinical areas affects their intention to stay within the workforce and their ability to deliver care. Introductory programs that utilise blended learning strategies have a role to play in enabling nurses to create their professional identity, find their position in clinical teams, and meet the requirements of organisations. 2020-11-01T00:00:00Z