Evaluation of Knowledge Acquisition Utilizing Two Methods of Lecture and Simulation in AG-ACNP Students

Many schools of nursing are investigating innovative teaching strategies to help manage nursing faculty shortages, limited time of experts in practice and rising costs of education while also striving to satisfy student’s educational needs.  Studies in recent years have demonstrated that simulation and “flipping the class” can enhance knowledge acquisition for advanced practice nursing students. Nevertheless, few studies have compared the knowledge gained by in-class lectures verses on-line lectures followed by face-to-face and hands-on simulation directed by experts.

The purpose of our study was to determine the differences in knowledge acquisition and preparation for simulation labs between two methods of lecture instruction concerning mechanical ventilation and noninvasive airway management. The same group of interdisciplinary experts worked together to develop interactive on-line lectures and traditional in-class lectures for acute-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner students (AG-ACNP.)

It was speculated that interactive pre-recorded lectures would provide the same knowledge acquisition as traditional in-class lectures and that both methods of lectures would equally prepare students for critical thinking in high-fidelity simulation scenarios conducted by an interdisciplinary team. Further, there were no differences in knowledge gained post simulation.

Twenty-one AG-ACNP students in a university program were enrolled and randomized to either classroom lectures or on-line lectures. Both groups were placed in the same simulation scenarios post lecture. Students were given tests to ascertain their baseline knowledge, post lecture knowledge and post simulation knowledge. A Mann-Whitney U test demonstrated that no statistically significant difference existed between groups when comparing pre-test, post-lecture test and post-simulation test [(2-tailed): p > 0.05].