Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Nurses must meet professional standards by attending continuing education activities. Despite the potential of virtual patient simulation in nursing education, it has rarely been used in nurses’ continuing education to address relational skills. We developed an automated virtual patient simulation informed by motivational interviewing to enhance nurses’ relational skills. The simulation features an HIV-positive man struggling to adhere to his medication. Quizzes and feedback loops embedded in the simulation allow learners to observe the consequences of their choices. This study aimed to assess nurses’ perception of simulation’s acceptability. Specific objectives were: to measure the simulation design elements, its role in supporting practice, its quality and technology acceptance, and the achievement of learning objectives; to explore nurses’ learning experience.
Who can participate?
French-speaking registered nurses working in Quebec, Canada, who self-reported as having basic computer skills.
What does the study involve?
Nurses have to fill out a first online questionnaire to get an overall picture of their sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. age, experience as nurses, etc). Then, they are invited to consult the virtual patient simulation, which is a form of digital training lasting 45 minutes, to help them in consolidating their communications skills with the virtual patient. When they complete their participation in the virtual patient simulation, they are invited to complete an online questionnaire (around 20 minutes). The last step, involving the nurses who want to share their experience of having participated in the virtual patient simulation, is the online focus group (qualitative data collection).
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The possible benefits are: the improvement of nurses' communication skills, the awareness of their own communication style, the identification of nurses' strengths and weaknesses.
The risk of participating is the stress caused by the use of a computer.
Where is the study run from?
This is an online study. All the nurses from Quebec have access to it. However, the study is run from Montreal (Canada)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
August 2018 to September 2019.
Who is funding the study?
The development of this simulation was funded by a student project grant from Quebec Network on Nursing Intervention Research, by a planning and dissemination grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) [144030], and by a doctoral scholarship allocated to GR from the CIHR [337439]. GR received doctoral scholarships from the Quebec Network on Nursing Intervention Research, the Fonds de recherche du Québec santé, the CIHR, and Quebec’s Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur.
Who is the main contact?
Geneviève Rouleau, RN, PhD candidate
genevieve.rouleau.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Study website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Contact name
Ms Geneviève Rouleau
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1093-6577
Contact details
850 rue St-Denis
Pavillon S
Door S01-110.4
Montreal
H2X0A9
Canada
+1 5148908000 ext 12744
genevieve.rouleau.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Additional identifiers
EudraCT/CTIS number
Nil known
IRAS number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Nil known
Protocol/serial number
Nil known
Study information
Scientific title
Virtual patient simulation to improve nurses’ relational skills in a continuing education context: A convergent mixed-methods study
Acronym
Study hypothesis
This study aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the acceptability of a virtual patient (VP) simulation to improve nurses’ relational skills in a continuing education (CE) context.
Our specific research objectives were: a) to measure the extent of the VP simulation nurses’ perceived acceptability in regards of the simulation design elements, of the global system quality and the technology acceptance, of the role simulation plays in supporting nurses’ professional practice, and of the achievement of learning objectives; b) to explore nurses’ learning experience; c) to deepen understanding of how the VP simulation can contribute to nurses’ uptake of relational skills, to overall learning and its transfer into practice.
Ethics approval(s)
Approved 20/11/2018, Research Ethics Committee of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (Tour R, 900 St-Denis Street, 3rd floor, Montreal, Qc/Canada, H2X 0A9; 1-514-890-8000, extension14485; ethique.recherche.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca), ref 18.243
Study design
Multicenter interventional study
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Mixed methods study (pre-experimental design and qualitative exploratory design)
Study setting(s)
Internet/virtual
Study type
Other
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet
Condition
The simulation is about nurses' communication skills in a situation of medication non-adherence
Intervention
A convergent mixed methods study. First, a pre-experimental study is performed with a one-group post-test design to measure nurses’ perceptions of the VP simulation. Second, a qualitative exploratory design is used to describe nurses’ learning experience and to further nuance and deepen understanding of the acceptability of the intervention by using complementary topics that are not covered by the quantitative component.
A Web- and screen-based program, available on computer or tablet, that allows learners to interact with a two-dimensional animated human character called the “virtual patient.” Learners emulate the role of the healthcare providers, within a first-person perspective.
There is one 45-minutes consultation session.
Regarding the pre-experimental nature of the trial, there is no control group.
Intervention type
Behavioural
Primary outcome measure
1. VP simulation design elements; global system quality and technology acceptance; role of simulation in supporting nurses’ professional practice and achievement of learning objectives are measured with a 4-points Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = Agree; 4 = Strongly agree) post-intervention (no timeline).
2. In the qualitative data collection at a single timepoint post-intervention, these topics are of interest: motivations, perceived difficulties for study participation, and concrete implications for nursing practice following participation in the virtual patient simulation.
Secondary outcome measures
There are no secondary outcome measures
Overall study start date
01/08/2018
Overall study end date
24/09/2019
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Registered nurses working in Quebec (Canada)
2. Self-reported having basic computer literacy skills
3. Understand and speak French.
Participant type(s)
Health professional
Age group
Adult
Sex
Both
Target number of participants
30
Total final enrolment
54
Participant exclusion criteria
Does not meet inclusion criteria
Recruitment start date
24/03/2019
Recruitment end date
24/08/2019
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Canada
Study participating centre
University of Montreal Hospital Centre
1000, Rue Saint-Denis
Montreal
H2X 0C1
Canada
Sponsor information
Organisation
Université Laval
Sponsor details
Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry
1050
avenue de la Médecine
local 3645
Quebec
G1V 0A6
Canada
+1 418 656 3356
fsi@fsi.ulaval.ca
Sponsor type
Other
Website
ROR
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Alternative name(s)
Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), CIHR_IRSC, Canadian Institutes of Health Research | Ottawa ON, CIHR, IRSC
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
National government
Location
Canada
Funder name
Réseau de recherche portant sur les interventions en sciences infirmières du Québec
Alternative name(s)
Quebec Network on Nursing Intervention Research, Réseau RRISIQ Network, Réseau de recherche en interventions en sciences infirmières du Québec, RRISIQ
Funding Body Type
private sector organisation
Funding Body Subtype
Other non-profit organizations
Location
Canada
Funder name
Quebec Healthcare Research Fund
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Quebec Ministry of Higher Education
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Publication in BMC Nursing
Intention to publish date
06/07/2020
Individual participant data (IPD) sharing plan
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Geneviève Rouleau, Genevieve.rouleau.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Type of data: descriptive statistical analyses
Data anonymisation and individual information will be changed to protect the privacy and confidentiality of participants’ identity.
No date is fixed because the datasets will become available only if the principal investigator has reasonable request. Because the study’s findings are part of Geneviève Rouleau’s PhD thesis, the datasets won’t be available until the final deposit of the thesis will be approved by Université Laval.
IPD sharing plan summary
Available on request
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | 04/01/2022 | 17/03/2022 | Yes | No |