An Innovative Approach to Operating Room Simulation with Dental Hygiene Student Preparedness and Awareness: An iEXCEL Interprofessional Pilot Project
Abstract
During previous student rotations in the operating room, senior dental hygiene students exhibited a lack of understanding and preparedness, resulting in significant anxiety and limited experiential learning. This project aims to create a simulated interprofessional learning environment where dental hygiene students can experience a dental surgical case scenario in a simulated operating room. Senior dental hygiene (DH) students participated in pre- and post-survey assessments using REDCap, focusing on student preparedness and enhanced awareness of the operating room through simulation. A convergent mixed methods design was employed, collecting quantitative and qualitative data in parallel, analyzing them separately, and then merging the results. Likert scale questions were used to evaluate the impact of the operating room simulation on student preparedness at the UNMC Davis Global Center. The findings revealed a statistically significant association between students' reliance on past experiences and positive changes in empathy and anxiety levels. Thematic analysis was performed to gather specific student feedback. The project showcased the effectiveness of experiential learning in improving student preparedness for clinical practice. These findings will be instrumental in developing simulation opportunities that promote effective experiential learning.
An Innovative Approach to Operating Room Simulation with Dental Hygiene Student Preparedness and Awareness: An iEXCEL Interprofessional Pilot Project
University of Nebraska Medical Center
During previous student rotations in the operating room, senior dental hygiene students exhibited a lack of understanding and preparedness, resulting in significant anxiety and limited experiential learning. This project aims to create a simulated interprofessional learning environment where dental hygiene students can experience a dental surgical case scenario in a simulated operating room. Senior dental hygiene (DH) students participated in pre- and post-survey assessments using REDCap, focusing on student preparedness and enhanced awareness of the operating room through simulation. A convergent mixed methods design was employed, collecting quantitative and qualitative data in parallel, analyzing them separately, and then merging the results. Likert scale questions were used to evaluate the impact of the operating room simulation on student preparedness at the UNMC Davis Global Center. The findings revealed a statistically significant association between students' reliance on past experiences and positive changes in empathy and anxiety levels. Thematic analysis was performed to gather specific student feedback. The project showcased the effectiveness of experiential learning in improving student preparedness for clinical practice. These findings will be instrumental in developing simulation opportunities that promote effective experiential learning.