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A new study by researchers from across CUNY demonstrates the value of a web-based clinical simulation for use in dietetics education.
For the study, published in Topics in Clinical Nutrition, CUNY SPH faculty Ann Gaba, Sergio Costa, Ashish Joshi and colleagues developed the CUNY Simulated Hospital Unit (CSHU) as an online virtual general medicine hospital unit for simulation of the nutrition care process.
The simulation provides a virtual aesthetic that helps to make clinical scenarios less daunting for students. While the CSHU simulates the experience of completing nutritional assessments, it also demonstrates realistic interactions between animated patients and staff.
When there is a lack of experiential learning options for dietetics students, simulations offer educational experiences that can be tailored to specific patient personas and diseases, leading to a cost-effective alternative to on-site clinical experience, the authors say.
“Creating a nutrition assessment simulation for dietetics students who are unable to secure clinical training, or who require additional experience, is a much-needed endeavor, especially when clinical placements for dietetics students are few and highly competitive,” says Gaba. “A simulation such as this one makes an important contribution to professional education in dietetics. Not only will it allow students the ability to learn remotely but it will also help to make dietetics practice experiences more accessible, repeatable and consistent.”
Dr. Gaba received a Professional Staff Congress-City University of New York award, and a Simulation Development grant from the City University of New York Vice-Chancellor of Health and Human Services in support of this project.
