Location
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Event Date
3-26-2025
Abstract
Introduction/Purpose: This study examines the preparedness, awareness, and empathy of senior dental hygiene students during an operating room simulation at UNMC’s iEXCEL. A lack of confidence and limited hands-on learning opportunities in the operating room rotation contribute to anxiety, restricting students’ ability to develop essential clinical competencies. To address this issue, a convergent mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the impact of simulation-based learning of a dental surgical case on students' readiness for real-world scenarios while fostering empathy for special needs patients requiring treatment under general anesthesia.
Methods: A total of 23 second-year dental hygiene students participated in pre- and post-simulation assessments via REDCap. Quantitative data were gathered using Likert scale questions (1=strongly disagree to 4=strongly agree), while qualitative insights were obtained through open-ended responses. The simulation consisted of a pre-brief, four rotation stations, and a group debrief.
Results: Data analysis included a paired t-test to compare pre- and post-Likert responses, as well as Fischer’s exact test to identify associations between thematic elements and survey findings. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results revealed a significant increase in student preparedness post-simulation (p=0.0164). Thematic analysis confirmed that “prior knowledge/past experiences” demonstrated strong associations with improved empathy (p=0.0238) and reduced anxiety (p=0.0215). These findings suggest that structured simulations can effectively enhance students' clinical competencies while mitigating stress related to operating room experiences.
Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of integrating simulation-based learning into dental hygiene curricula to optimize student readiness for real-world practice. By fostering preparedness, awareness, and empathy, such simulations can play a crucial role in shaping competent and confident professionals. Future plans include expanding the simulation to include dental students and refining survey questions based on pilot insights.
Included in
An Innovative Approach to Operating Room Simulation with Dental Hygiene Student Preparedness and Awareness: An iEXCEL Interprofessional Pilot Project
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Introduction/Purpose: This study examines the preparedness, awareness, and empathy of senior dental hygiene students during an operating room simulation at UNMC’s iEXCEL. A lack of confidence and limited hands-on learning opportunities in the operating room rotation contribute to anxiety, restricting students’ ability to develop essential clinical competencies. To address this issue, a convergent mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the impact of simulation-based learning of a dental surgical case on students' readiness for real-world scenarios while fostering empathy for special needs patients requiring treatment under general anesthesia.
Methods: A total of 23 second-year dental hygiene students participated in pre- and post-simulation assessments via REDCap. Quantitative data were gathered using Likert scale questions (1=strongly disagree to 4=strongly agree), while qualitative insights were obtained through open-ended responses. The simulation consisted of a pre-brief, four rotation stations, and a group debrief.
Results: Data analysis included a paired t-test to compare pre- and post-Likert responses, as well as Fischer’s exact test to identify associations between thematic elements and survey findings. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results revealed a significant increase in student preparedness post-simulation (p=0.0164). Thematic analysis confirmed that “prior knowledge/past experiences” demonstrated strong associations with improved empathy (p=0.0238) and reduced anxiety (p=0.0215). These findings suggest that structured simulations can effectively enhance students' clinical competencies while mitigating stress related to operating room experiences.
Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of integrating simulation-based learning into dental hygiene curricula to optimize student readiness for real-world practice. By fostering preparedness, awareness, and empathy, such simulations can play a crucial role in shaping competent and confident professionals. Future plans include expanding the simulation to include dental students and refining survey questions based on pilot insights.