title: Virtual patients for assessment of clinical reasoning in nursing -- a pilot study.
abstract: In different nursing programmes, one important learning outcome is clinical reasoning (CR) skills. However, to date, there is limited number of methods available for assessment of CR skills; especially for distance-based courses. This study investigates students' opinions about the feasibility of using Virtual Patients (VPs) for assessing CR in nursing education. VPs were introduced as an assessment tool in three different nursing courses at two universities, comprising 77 students in total. Students' overall acceptance of this assessment tool, including its applicability to the practise of nursing and the potential of VP-based assessment as a learning experience, were investigated using questionnaires. Course directors used the Web-SP system to assess students' interactions with VPs and their answers regarding diagnoses, caring procedures and their justifications. Students' found the VP cases to be realistic and engaging, and indicate a high level of acceptance for this assessment method. In addition, the students' indicated that VPs were good for practising their clinical skills, although some would prefer that the VP system be less "medical" and asked for more focus on nursing. Although most students supplied correct diagnoses and made adequate clinical decisions, there was a wide range in their ability to explain their clinical reasoning processes.
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Health Sciences, Halmstad University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elenita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Georg
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ziegert
authors.forename: Uno
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fors
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011340:Problem Solving; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult