The purpose of this project is for you to practice using avatar technology to enhance your knowledge of nursing informatics. This is a two-part project. In part one, you will explain the impact and im

Avatar Development and Educational Impact

Author Note

Avatar Development and Educational Impact

Part 1

Impact of Simulations, Virtual Worlds & Games in Nursing Education

Simulations are replicated scenarios for learners to put in practice their knowledge and skills. Simulations can be games, virtual world, or simulators that have become popular in the educational system (McGonigle, 2018). Educationalists have bewailed the use of simulations, games and virtual learning had not been integrated into the nursing curriculum to develop and enhance their knowledge (Green, Wyllie, & Jackson, 2014).

The combined use of theory and simulation provides the learners the ability to put in practice their knowledge. Simulations compose of four steps pre-briefing, enactment, de-briefing, and assessment (McGonigle, 2018). Pre-briefing is receiving the information and goals. Enactment refers to when the student assumes or performs the simulation role. De-briefing is the discussion and answers to the action and outcomes of the situation. Finally, assessment is the outcome of the simulation (McGonigle, 2018).

Simulation games offer the student opportunity to compete and collaborate with others to increase their understanding of skill set. Games have set rules, prizes, and time constraints, available resources to accomplish a goal; therefore, learner develops a sense of problem-solving in a timely manner with a set of rules (McGonigle, 2018).

Virtual reality is a two or three-dimensional computer-generated customized environment that simulates the aspects of the real world or fantasy-based world (Green, Wyllie, & Jackson, 2014). In 3D virtual setting features such as an Avatar and Second life a self-animated created interactive character communications tools that are used to demonstrate a virtual world (Green, Wyllie, & Jackson, 2014).

Simulations

Advantages

The advantages of simulations provide nursing students the opportunity to develop critical thinking, problem-solve that involves reflection and feedback response to the scenario (Cant, & Cooper, 2015). In addition, it helps the student to enhance communication skills with patients, peers, and physicians in response to an issue or situation.

Disadvantages

Disadvantages of simulations are that they are costly and time-consuming to build, not all facilities can afford it. The vulnerability of network and security issues is also a disadvantage (Cant, & Cooper, 2015).

Virtual Worlds

Advantages

The virtual world education curricula enhance the leaner’s creativity, imagination and social interactions (Green, Wyllie, & Jackson, 2014). The use of computer applications has opened a gateway for nurses to engage in a virtual based scenario and learn a real live experience (Green, Wyllie, & Jackson, 2014).

Disadvantages

The use of virtual world poses a disadvantage for those who do not know how to navigate the system. In addition, the cost of the application may not be suitable for everyone’s income (Green, Wyllie, & Jackson, 2014).

Games

Advantages

Games have the advantages that foster the student’s skills to compete and have goals. Also, games simulations enhance the learner to develop the ability to work with a set of rules and time constraints. Games support the learner to understand the principals of cause and effect.

Disadvantages

Disadvantages of games, as like simulations, are that they are costly and time-consuming to build, not all facilities can afford it. The vulnerability of network and security issues is also a disadvantage (Cant, & Cooper, 2015).

Part 2

Educational Scenario

In this educational scenario the topic of barcode medication administration will be discussed. Bar-code medication administration systems or BCMA can improve medication dispensing safety through validation of the five rights to drug administration. The key elements that will be focused on will be the proper use of the barcode medication administration to keep patients safe and how to avoid medication errors. Some errors result due to the inability to use barcode technology correctly, engaging workarounds or overriding warnings, process disruptions in medication administration, and pharmacy dispensing errors. The audience that will be addressed is a group of new nurses that are trying to learn the new barcode medication administration system to provide their patients with safe medication distribution. The expectation of this educational topic is to assess overrides, identify system vulnerabilities, monitor and measure compliance with the barcode technology to detect and eliminate barriers to its appropriate use.

Voki Script

As part of an effort to improve patient safety, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled in 2004, to make barcodes a requirement on thousands of medications and biological products by year 2006 (Wideman, 2014). This new rule or law that was implemented was put in place to reduce the amount of medication errors that happen in the healthcare setting. A bar code medication administration (BCMA) system is a system using bar-code equipment attached to the medication, the patient ID band, and the healthcare employee ID badge for maintenance of the rights of medication administration (McGonigle, 2018). A barcode administration system is the safest way to administer medication to a patient because it reduces the chances of giving a medication to the wrong person, at the wrong time, at the wrong dose.

One of the most beneficial features of the BCMA software is the Missing Dose Request notification (Wideman, 2014). When a dose of a medication is missing the nurse initiates the missing dose request through the BCMA system which alerts the pharmacy of drug doses that are not available for administration (Wideman, 2014). These missing orders may result from improper delivery, nonstandard administration times, diversion, insufficient or incorrect medications dispensed by the pharmacy, incorrect administration, or lack of storage and handling knowledge. The pharmacist reviews each request, finds the appropriate medication, and sends the medication to the appropriate location in a timely manner (Wideman, 2014). As new nurses there are many features that need to be learned about the barcode medication administration system because proper use of it can greatly reduce the amount of medication errors, the amount of time a patient waits for a medication, and the stressors of a nurse personally sorting out medications for each patient hoping it’s correct.

Voki Link

http://tinyurl.com/yckupabv

References

Cant, R. P., & Cooper, S. J. (2015). The time is right for Web-based clinical simulation in nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 5(11). doi:10.5430/jnep.v5n11p113

Green, J., Wyllie, A., & Jackson, D. (2014). Virtual worlds: A new frontier for nurse education? Collegian, 21(2), 135-141. doi:10.1016/j.colegn.2013.11.004

Leung, A. A., Denham, C. R., Bane, A., Churchill, W. W., Bates, D. W., & Poon, E. G. (2015). A Safe Practice Standard for Barcode Technology. Journal Of Patient Safety, 11(2), 89-99.

McGonigle, D. (2018). Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge, 4th Edition. [Bookshelf Ambassadored]. Retrieved from https://ambassadored.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284142990/

Wideman, M. (2014). Barcode medication administration: Lessons learned from an intensive care unit implementation. Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation, 3, 437-451. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20569/