Introduction/Background
As Australia's population ages, there is an increasing need for health care professionals to be prepared to provide high quality care for older adults with complex health needs. In regional NSW, a greater percentage of the population are over the age of 60, compared to regional NSW. Mask-Ed, an evidence-based simulation tool, is an effective component of interprofessional education addressing the challenges of curriculum delivery across multiple campuses and modes of study. A series of video vignettes featuring Mask-Ed character Constance Smyth was developed with a 2023 Teaching Academy Grant. These vignettes are utilised in the undergraduate nursing and paramedicine curriculum as exemplars of interprofessional and person-centred communication when caring for an older person.
Aims/Objectives of the presentation
This presentation discusses the development of the vignettes, the pedagogy underpinning Mask-Ed and the evaluation of the project .
Methods
The video vignettes were filmed over 3 days at Port Macquarie campus. The script, set design, filming and editing process ensured a finished product with high authenticity, reflective of clinical environments. The successful use of Mask-Ed character Constance Smyth depends on a viewer’s ‘suspension of disbelief’, the cognitive act of accepting a simulation as authentic (Muckler, 2017). To evaluate the video vignettes, a mixed-methods approach was employed, involving first-year and third-year undergraduate nursing students and first-year paramedicine students. Participants completed pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys, including the Ambivalent Ageism Scale and SPICE-R2, to assess changes in attitudes and clinical readiness. Focus groups were also conducted to gather qualitative insights into students' experiences with the vignettes. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential tests, and thematic analysis to identify key trends and themes
Results
Preliminary findings indicate that students report increased confidence in clinical readiness in caring for older people and a reduction in ageist attitudes. The focus groups revealed that students found the vignettes to be a valuable educational tool, particularly in improving communication and reflective skills.
Discussion
Mask-Ed character Constance Smyth embodies the characteristics of a contemporary older women in rural and regional Australia. She is a retired health professional, active in her community, independent, and with links to the LGBTQI+ community. She has high health literacy and is an informed consumer. Effectively engaging with older people such as Constance is a vital skill for our future rural health workforce.
The video vignettes are a cost-effective, flexible, and enduring teaching resource that is produced with sustainability in mind. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals advocate approaches to learning and teaching that include wise stewardship of resources (Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Australia/Pacific, 2017).
Conclusion
Due to Australia’s ageing population, it is increasingly important that health professionals are able to provide person-centred, high quality care to older people. Teaching resources that model person-centred clinical encounters are an important component of health curricula. Evaluation of the video vignettes featuring a Mask-Ed character demonstrates that that they improve clinical readiness, communication and reflective skills in undergraduate nursing and paramedicine students.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2022). Regional population by age and sex. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population-age-and-sex/latest-release
Muckler, V. C. (2017). Exploring Suspension of Disbelief During Simulation-Based Learning. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 13(1), 3-9. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2016.09.004
Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Australia/Pac
