Development and Application of a System Thinking-Based Approach with the Use of a Patient Simulator in Nursing Education : Focus on Congestive Heart Failure

시스템 사고기반 울혈성 심부전 간호교육 시뮬레이션 프로그램 개발 및 적용

This study aims to explore the development and application of a simulated skills package designed to improve nursing students' knowledge integration and their system thinking(ST) skills about congestive heart failure(CHF) and to identify the change in students' ST levels using a ST-based learning approach. A simulated learning support package was developed by nurse educators and ST experts. The developed program was implemented with 35 third-year nursing students from S university in Seoul. The subjects improved their ST skills regarding CHF after intervention. Mean test scores for students completing the program were significantly higher than pre-intervention scores, including measures of direction of causality, polarity of causal relationship, feedback loop, polarity of feedback loop (reinforcing, balancing) and time delay (t=2.26~6.53, p=.030~p<.001). It is suggested that more educational programs be developed on various topics in order for nursing students to improve their ST skills as well as knowledge integration in clinical nursing practicum packages.