Emerging Technology Curriculum Proposal for Nursing Education, Thesis of Business Accounting

Download Emerging Technology Curriculum Proposal for Nursing Education and more Thesis Business Accounting in PDF only on Docsity! EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL C922 Emerging Technology Curriculum Proposal Western Governors University College of Health Professions Executive Summary As technology evolves, there are new ways to facilitate learning and meet individual needs and learning styles. The use of technology has transformed the way teachers teach and learners learn and ultimately influences how nurses’ practice. To use these resources effectively, instructors must integrate technologies into the nursing curriculum based on evidence-based educational principles and best practices, as well as address issues such as cost, access, and student outcomes. Academic institutions must support and adopt technologies that will challenge students to be critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and lifelong learners. To successfully integrate these competencies into “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course, a literature review was conducted on the use of technology in education. Academic stakeholders were identified as crucial to this proposal. A needs assessment was performed to evaluate the current environment. Based on the needs gap analysis and the input of stakeholders, the current curriculum lacked active learner participation and critical action-based learning to maximize the development of affective, cognitive, and psychomotor skills in students, crucial proficiencies for safe nursing practice. This proposal recommends the implementation of Virtual Simulation as an active learning method to maximize the development of clinical judgment, critical thinking, and EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL decision-making skills in a safe and controlled environment. The development of these crucial nursing competencies ultimately contributes toward reducing clinical errors and improving the safety and quality of health care, leading to positive patient outcomes. Excluding this technology in this nursing curriculum creates an enormous gap as this academic institution does not have the educational environment that supports the development of these essential clinical competencies in the next generation of care providers. Emerging Technology Curriculum Proposal The use of technology has expanded the opportunities for instructors to shift from merely transmitting information to passive learners and instead engage learners to become active participants. As technology evolves, there are new ways to facilitate learning and meet individual needs and learning styles. To successfully integrate critical nursing competencies into “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course, a literature review was conducted on the use of technology in education. Academic stakeholders were identified as crucial to this proposal and a needs assessment was performed to evaluate the current environment. Based on the needs gap analysis and the input of stakeholders, it was determined that the current curriculum lacked active learner participation and critical action-based learning to maximize the development of affective, cognitive, and psychomotor skills in students, crucial proficiencies for safe nursing practice. A force field analysis was completed to identify forces for and against this curriculum technology proposal. Internal and external organizational factors that could facilitate or impede the integration of the proposed technology were assessed. Potential barriers and resistance were 2 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL teamwork. Virtual simulation also offers a solution to mitigate clinical placement issues that many academic facilities may have in the field of mental health, obstetrics, and pediatrics, important components of a community health nursing practice. Diaz, et al. (2020) found that virtual simulation may expose students to a variety of patient populations and in larger numbers. It also allowed students to gain experience when clinical hours or sites are not available and can be used to replace some portions of clinical hours without a negative impact on student outcomes. Booth, et al. (2017) assessed that mental health nursing is a clinical specialty area that can benefit from simulated practice. Using virtual simulation learning offers educators the opportunity to deliver a range of educational opportunities for students to care for patients with mental illnesses and to learn about therapeutic relationships that are both emergent and cumulative, rather than episodic incidences. Virtual simulation is one solution to mitigate the cost of high-fidelity simulations, clinical placement issues, and a more efficient and convenient method. In addition to helping students improve their clinical judgment, critical thinking, and decision-making skills, virtual simulation can also be a critical asset in improving students’ communication skills and empathic communications. Communication is the focal point of all nursing interactions and empathy is the core of all patient-nurse interactions and contributes to patient satisfaction and improved patient outcomes. Strekalova, Krieger, Kleinheksel, & Kotranza (2017) found that virtual simulations are “particularly effective in the development of patient interviewing and therapeutic communication skills within a safe and nonthreatening environment.” Identifying opportunities to express and communicate empathy requires practice and training, and virtual simulation provides opportunities for students to understand the inner 5 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL feelings of the patient, see a situation from the patient’s perspective, and how to appropriately communicate this understanding. Incorporating virtual simulation in “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” curriculum is an effective teaching and learning strategy for students and integrates an emerging technology to benefit the academic nursing education program. Technology Gaps Educational technologies, once viewed as rare, have now become commonplace and opened a new window of learning opportunities for students and educators. New and innovative technology will continue to advance and technology in education is now the norm rather than the exceptions. Technology transforms the way teachers teach and learners learn and ultimately influences how nurses’ practice. To use these resources effectively, instructors must integrate technologies into the nursing curriculum based on evidence-based educational principles and best practices, as well as address issues such as cost, access, and student outcomes (Bastable, 2019). Rather than solely a provider of information, today’s nurse educators have become facilitators of learning, and are inspired to create collaborative and dynamic learning environments for their students. As technology advances and information become more readily available, there is less importance on memorization but rather the ability to think critically and make sound clinical decisions. As Padilha et al. (2019) discussed, the use of clinical virtual simulation in the development of nursing competencies improves clinical skills, critical thinking, and decision making, which ultimately contributes toward reducing clinical errors and improving the safety and quality of health care. Excluding this technology in a nursing curriculum creates a 6 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL gap as academic institutions do not have the educational environment that supports the development of these clinical competencies in the next generation of care providers. Nurses rely on experiences and clinical judgments to become proficient but every situation that occurs at the bedside cannot be taught in the classroom. To maximize clinical judgment, critical thinking, and decision-making skills and prepare learners to practice in the real world, students must have the opportunity to deliberately practice and improve these skills. Mabry et al. (2020) noted that “deliberate and contextual practice during prelicensure education is needed to prepare a new nurse to handle simple and complex bedside situations.” Deliberate practice allows students to overcome fear, anxiety, and stress and progress from avoiding a task to mastering it. As nursing students will not encounter every scenario during clinical rotations, virtual simulation can bridge the gap between what is taught in the classroom to what is seen in practice and prepare students for real-life situations. Virtual simulation is used in nursing education to give students opportunities to build a sense of self-efficacy through the development of cognitive capabilities. When nursing students complete their undergraduate studies, they are expected to be prepared to perform patient-centered care across the life span in various health care settings. In certain areas of the country and at some academic institutions, finding clinical areas for students to gain experience, especially in the field of pediatrics, obstetrics, and mental health can be a difficult task. Using virtual simulation technology can fill this gap in nursing education. Diaz, et al. (2020) observed that simulation is one solution to mitigate clinical placement issues and can be used to replace a portion of clinical hours. Students can gain experience taking care of a wide variety of patients, and practice their assessment and communication skills. Learning how to assist a laboring patient, a 5-year old boy with a broken arm, or a patient experiencing a mental 7 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL have a good understanding of the needs and functional tasks the educational technologies should support across the organization. The next phase was to identify the features and capabilities the educational technologies should have. Knowing what you need will help narrow down the options and minimize cost as there may not be one tool to fit all the needs of the academic institution. The last step was to identify specifications and feature requirements to narrow down possible options and eliminate those technologies that do not align with the strategy. Some of these requirements were specific to the organization and were high-level requirements such as accessibility, privacy, and security features (Panapto, 2017). A comprehensive and systematic needs assessment is a crucial step when deciding how to upgrade the institutions’ technology infrastructure, allocate funding and resources effectively, and adapting technology to the current practice. Stakeholders Three academic stakeholders necessary to the success of this proposed technology include nursing students, faculty instructors, and administrators. These stakeholders play an important role in facilitating the successful implementation of the proposed technology project and by providing their skills, knowledge, and leadership in the organization to allow for the proposed change. Nursing Students Nursing students are directly impacted by any change in a nursing program curriculum. Their role in the gap analysis is to ensure that any proposed technology will be beneficial and facilitate the development of the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their nursing career. Nursing students also rely on access to affordable, convenient, and quality courses to develop critical thinking and decision-making skills, and clinical judgments. Involving nursing 10 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL students in the gap analysis is crucial as any curriculum change impacts student outcomes and determines how well they are prepared for practice (Kokemuller, 2017). Faculty Instructors When deciding to update any aspect of a program’s curriculum, it is crucial to include faculty instructors as they are directly impacted by this change and their beliefs and attitudes will impact the desired outcome. To have successful adoption and sustained use of any educational technology tools, faculty instructors must be included in the gap analysis as their needs determine what technologies would be valuable to the curriculum. The role of faculty instructors in the gap analysis is to help determine technology requirements and establish priorities for resource allocations that will have the greatest impact (O'Reilly, 2016). Administrators The role of the academic institution administrators in the gap analysis is to evaluate the fiscal impact of the proposed technology and the cost-benefit of this implementation on the program and the academic institution. Their role is also to determine the allocation of monetary funds and resources necessary for the success of the project. Administrators are vital stakeholders as their input determines whether the proposed technology will be implemented. Administrators have the power and influence to impact any curriculum change as well as the timeframe for implementation once the proposal is approved (Berklee, n.d.). Methods of Collaboration A key component to collaborating with interprofessional teams and obtain stakeholder buy-in is to communicate effectively and efficiently. Effectively communicating an organized and consistent message to all stakeholders is critical to the success of the technology proposal. The methods of collaboration will ensure that stakeholders have a clear understanding of the 11 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL proposed curriculum change, the process of implementation, and the impact it has on the curriculum and how this will affect them (Cambridge University Press, 2020). To ensure effective and efficient communication, the interprofessional team members will communicate via emails, web-based video conferencing, and face-to-face meetings. Face-to-Face Meetings At the beginning of this project, it is important to meet the group participants in person to establish rapport and a professional relationship. Meeting face-to-face will also facilitate the start of the project as the team members can brainstorm and use an affinity diagram to narrow down the technologies that will fill the gap in the curriculum. Face-to-face meetings can boost efficiency and creativity as the overall energy will be higher at the start of the project. This type of communication may be more effective for those individuals that are clearer and more precise with verbal communications and for those that struggle with written communication. Building rapport and a professional relationship come in the ability to interact and socialize with group participants, which sets the foundation for trust and working together to achieve a goal. Face-to- face interactions also help to gauge how interested members by looking at their non-verbal cues, such as body language and eye contact (Baker & Milutinovic, 2016). Web-Based Videoconferencing After meeting face-to-face and establishing rapport, subsequent meetings can occur over web-based videoconferencing, such as Zoom. A collaborative, cloud-based videoconferencing tool like Zoom offers group messaging services, online meetings, and secure recording of sessions. Web-based video conferencing also offers the ability to communicate in real-time with team members in diverse locations via a mobile device, tablet, or computer and contains security features, such as user authentication, encryption of meetings, and backup recordings, which can 12 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL involved. As simulation centers are expensive, these facilities are utilized by numerous academic facilities, who must all share this space. Scheduling time in this facility will require advanced planning, coordination with other schools, and medical and nursing programs. It is also extremely time-consuming to create authentic and realistic HFS and requires a high amount of time commitment from faculty members to prepare for HFS (Jacobs, Taylor, Dixon, & Wilkes, 2020). A second emerging technology that can be applied to “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course is using virtual simulation such as Lippincott’s vSim. In this type of simulation, students use real-life nursing scenarios in an online simulated environment. This allows them to practice on virtual patients in a virtual clinical setting that depicts actual patient scenarios. By incorporating virtual simulation into this community health course, students can use a safe environment to increase their understanding of interprofessional roles, increase awareness of their preconceptions of different clients, and provide students an opportunity to observe, reflect, and contemplate alternate actions when providing care in a community health setting (Diaz, et al., 2020). There are many advantages to virtual simulation. Students can practice their critical thinking and decision-making skills in a safe environment using virtual patients in a variety of clinical settings. It helps nursing students improve their prioritization and clinical reasoning and decision-making skills before they practice these skills in the sim lab or clinical. Students can engage in experimental learning and make decisions in a safe and controlled environment in which they can see the consequences of their actions. Virtual simulation serves as a feedback tool to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions, which helps students improve their clinical judgment when they reflect on the consequences of their nursing interventions. Virtual 15 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL simulation measures how each student performs, pinpoints specific weaknesses, and delivers immediate remediation. Another advantage is that virtual simulation addresses the difficulties of managing facility space and faculty resources, enabling academic institutions to expand the number of clinical scenarios available for student development. Students can access the online environment on any web-accessible device and any time of the day, which gives them flexibility and practice skills on their own time. Virtual simulation increases the availability of scenarios and allows an increase in the number of students receiving individual training, which ultimately reduces the costs of simulation use per student (Padilha et al., 2019). There are a few disadvantages of using virtual simulation to prepare nurses for clinical practice. Students must have a laptop or computer and internet access to do the virtual simulation. These programs may not work well on handheld devices, such as cell phones or tablets. If students do not have access to a laptop or computer at home, then they would have to use the devices at their academic facility, which may limit the time they have access to the simulation. Students must also be able to work independently and will not have the instructor available to ask questions and elicit feedback. There are also technical issues that learners can face that can impact the software program, internet, and their devices. Technical skills are also required for students to navigate through the scenarios and be able to use all the necessary functions. Some older generation adult learners may have a difficult time navigating through the program and each scenario. Students must obtain a certain score for them to be able to move to the next scenario (O'Reilly, 2016). Technology Challenges The anticipated challenges with the current state of technology in “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course are that students must be in attendance for in- 16 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL class lectures and discussion to gain an understanding of this course, have resources are printed materials such as textbooks and journal articles, and students must attend a traditional in-person class with a set time. With in-person lectures and discussions, the role of the learner is usually passive. This type of learning method does not adequately engage learners and ineffective in influencing affective and psychomotor domains of learning. Lectures do not provide much stimulation as it is not an active learning teaching strategy. Lectures do not account for individual students learning styles and all learners are exposed to the same information regardless of the learning needs or cognitive abilities (Bastable, 2019). The course materials consist of textbooks and journal articles as resources to learn about the community health course. The challenge with these resources is that textbooks are costly and cumbersome to carry around. Students must obtain access to journal articles and not all academic institutions give students free access. If the instructor prints these for students, it is another resource that students must carry around with them to and from class and home or other study areas. The community health course is a 2-hour class at a set time once a week. Students must attend class in person and there is no online solution for students. The challenge for some students is that they may have transportation issues, work commitments, or family responsibilities, and not have the opportunity to attend class in person. Overcoming Challenges Implementing a virtual simulation module as part of this course would overcome the challenges listed above. Virtual simulation is an active learning strategy that helps the instructor facilitate student-centered learning by incorporating the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor 17 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL requirements to narrow down possible options and eliminate those technologies that did not align with the strategy. In the end, the group narrowed down to high-fidelity simulation (HFS) or virtual simulation software. A subsequent face-to-face meeting was scheduled to determine which technology to implement (Panapto, 2017). Nursing Students. Feedback received from the nursing student participants and the survey showed that there was lots of interest in both types of simulation technology. Based on the feedback received, students were more opposed to the HFS option as a sim center facility did not exist at the academic institution and would either have to be built or students would have to travel to another city or state to use another academic institution’s facility. The opinions of this group were that the virtual simulation was more convenient and flexible to use on their own time, and easily accessible through any electronic devices. Students agreed that the ability to practice on virtual patients provided them with the opportunity to practice and make mistakes in a safe environment. In the end, nursing students decided virtual simulation software would be the technology added to the curriculum. Faculty Instructors. The feedback received from some faculty instructors is that they were hesitant to change the curriculum while others were excited to incorporate simulation into the curriculum. The group was open to hearing the opinions of all faculty instructors for and against the curriculum change. Some members stated that they did not see how manikins or virtual patients could replace visible emotions and different personalities with real-life patients. The opposition from others was related to their uneasiness with the use of technology as they had been teaching with minimal use of technology. To overcome this opposition, adequate training would be provided to faculty instructors before implementing this technology. Faculty instructors were also shown the most recent evidence for the use of simulation and how it 20 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL improves student outcomes. Faculty instructors were also opposed to spending more time creating case scenarios for HFS and the amount of prep time required for a successful simulation. The group decided that virtual simulation software was more convenient and flexible to learn on their own time, and easily accessible through any electronic devices. Faculty instructors also liked that technical support would be available to them 24/7 via the website, over the phone with a live representative, or with printed training materials. Ultimately, faculty instructors selected to use virtual simulation software for the curriculum Administrators. Feedback from administrators was related to the cost of the simulation equipment. When looking at the budget, administrators determined that HFS at a simulation center would not be feasible for students as this type of facility was not in the vicinity of the academic institution. A simulation center would have to the built or a partnership would have to be formed with another academic institution, approximately 300 miles away. Building a sim center was automatically rejected as would cost anywhere from $1,000,000-$2,000,000 and this was not in the budget. Administrators were opposed to sending students 300 miles away to have access to a HFS center. The groups’ opinions were that a virtual simulation software was easier to implement, more cost-effective, and could be included as part of students’ tuition to offset some costs of the software. Overwhelmingly, administrators voted on a virtual simulation software to incorporate in the curriculum. Force Field Analysis Assessment Based on the needs assessment, gap analysis, and collaborations with stakeholders, a consensus was reached to implement a virtual simulation software. Please refer to Appendix A: Table 3. Organizational Factors 21 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL There are internal and external organization factors that may facilitate or impede the implementation of the virtual simulation software. An internal factor that can impede the implementation of this proposal would be the budget allocation for the fiscal year. There must be sufficient funds for the acquisition of the virtual simulation software program, for technical support, training materials, and faculty training. An internal factor that can facilitate implementation would be the support of the stakeholders. Obtaining support from nursing students, faculty, and administrators is key as they provide their skills, knowledge, and leadership in the organization to allow for the proposed change. An external factor that can impede the implementation of this proposal would be the availability of resources due to a pandemic, such as Covid. Currently, there are travel restrictions, limitations on the number of people in a room for hands-on training, and medical supply constraints. With these public health restrictions in place, it may be difficult to have end- user training in person, or if done in person, there are size limitations. Users must also wear masks during the training and disinfect the workspace. Faculty instructors may not want to train in a room with others for fear of their safety. An external factor that can facilitate the implementation of this proposal is obtaining accreditation from a nursing program certifying agency, such as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate programs in nursing and supports the use of simulation in nursing education (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). Forces of Integration There are certain forces that will facilitate the integration of virtual simulation in “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course. 22 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL initial purchase cost, the expense of future licenses, software upgrades, and maintenance fees must also be taken into consideration (Maloney & Haines, 2016). A third force is that instructors and students may perceive a lack of interpersonal relationships with virtual patients as opposed to the connection they would experience with patients in a clinical setting. Empathy and caring are the core of nursing, and the use of technology can lessen the bond that nursing students experience with real-life patients. Nursing students have a substantial exposure to technology in their learning environment, which may impact the student’s ability to be supportive and understanding of the patient’s needs. Instructors may be resistant to implement virtual simulation due to a lack of emotions and interpersonal bonding from virtual patients. As the number of technology increases, it is important that learners continue to recognize the significance of empathy and caring (Huddle, 2019). Change Theory Planning a change in a nursing curriculum is necessary for many reasons, but it can be challenging to implement. Understanding and using a change theory framework can help to improve the chances of success (Mitchell, 2013). For this proposal, Lewin’s Change theory is appropriate for the virtual simulation integration and adoption. In this theory, the focus is to change the equilibrium between the driving forces and restraining forces to move towards the desired change, which can be accomplished in three stages (Unfreezing-Moving-Refreezing) (Nursing Theory, 2020). Justification of Change Theory Lewin’s Change Theory has three stages: unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. In the Unfreezing phase, the goal of the multidisciplinary team is to demonstrate that a gap exists in the 25 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL curriculum and virtual simulation can fill this gap. In this stage, it is necessary to overcome resistance by presenting evidence-based data to support the implementation of virtual simulation in the curriculum. The needs assessment and gap analysis will be used to support the implementation of this new technology. It is also important to inform the staff of the proposed change and answer any questions or concerns they may have (Mitchell, 2013). The Moving stage involves a process of change in thoughts, feeling, and/or behavior, and when actual change is initiated. The goal is to show that implementing virtual simulation in the current curriculum is beneficial and move toward this new norm. To accept the change and contribute to making it successful, stakeholders, staff, and students must understand how it will benefit them. Communication and time are important in this stage for change to occur successfully. A planned timeline is introduced to make the organization aware of the change and how it will impact them. People need time to understand the changes, and they also need to feel supported throughout the transition period (Nursing Theory, 2020). The Refreezing stage is establishing the change as the new habit so that it now becomes part of the curriculum. Virtual simulation is implemented and functions as part of “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course. All members of the organization feel confident and comfortable using virtual simulation and see the value it has as part of the course. It is also important in this stage to ensure leadership and management support this change and communicates this support to the organization. Feedback processes, short- and long-term support, and training are also established to counter any resistive forces to this change. At the end of this stage, it’s important to celebrate the success of this implementation and to thank the interdisciplinary team for their time and effort on this project, which helps them believe this change will be successful (Raza, 2019). 26 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL Potential Resistance to Technology Potential resistance to virtual simulation technology could be faculty instructors’ reluctance to change curriculum and/or their uneasiness with new technology. As mentioned previously, some faculty members are not comfortable with new technologies, are accustomed to traditional teaching methods, or do not wish to alter their teaching techniques, contending that their techniques have worked for years. The challenge for faculty in accepting virtual simulation as an instructional strategy is only as good as the faculty who willingly incorporates it in the curriculum (Wolters Kluwer, 2016). Instructors resist change because altering the status quo may not agree with their views and beliefs, which increases their fear and anxiety and inhibits their efforts to learn about any new technology. These psychological defenses hinder learning. Older faculty instructors may also have extensive experience in their field and have learned defensive and adaptive tendencies to protect the status quo and resist change, but in the end, obstruct learning. To overcome this resistance, we must look at preconscious and unconscious psychological defenses that deter learning and make changes to these cognitive processes for a positive learning outcome (Khalil, 2013). Potential barriers to virtual simulation could be the cost of the implementation and a lack of stakeholder support. As mentioned previously, simulation is a rapidly developing approach used to improve student outcomes, but it can be an expensive modality for learning and teaching. Simulation costs vary, depending on the technology, methods, and fidelity of the simulation. With many competing methods available, and limited resources in which to implement them, the organization may not have adequate funds for the chosen technology. In addition to the initial purchase cost, the expense of future licenses, software upgrades, and maintenance fees must also be taken into consideration (Maloney & Haines, 2016). To complicate matters further, a lack of 27 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL Step 7. Introduce a planned timeline to make the organization aware of the change and how it will impact them. Keep the lines of communication open and empower team members to communicate the benefit of this change to other members of the organization. Stakeholders and change agents can create a supportive climate and act to energize this change (Raza, 2019). Step 8. Implement virtual simulation into the curriculum and provide adequate training and education to all the affected parties. Training materials will vary and consist of hands-on, printed, and online resources to meet the different learning styles of all learners. Step 9. Address any questions or concerns to dispel any misconceptions. It is important to obtain and provide feedback to overcome any resistance in this stage (Sullivan, 2017). Refreezing Stage Lastly, in the Refreezing stage, virtual simulation is implemented and functions as part of “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course. All members of the organization feel confident and comfortable using virtual simulation and see the value it has as part of the course. The following steps should be addressed in this stage: Step 10. Evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum change. Surveys are sent out to the organization to evaluate the effectiveness of implementation and to address any issues or concerns. If the project is deemed successful, then the change is extended past the experimental stage, and the target system is refrozen (Raza, 2019).  Step 11. Develop an ongoing training schedule for existing and new faculty, students, and other personnel that will use this software. This prepares new staff and students on how to use the new technology and allows existing staff and students to enhance their skills. 30 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL Step 12. Evaluate technology yearly to determine any gaps in the current technology. As technology evolves, there are continuously new ways to facilitate learning and meet individual needs and learning styles. Conclusion As a change agent and leader within the academic institution, the academic nurse educator has an important role in recognizing the trends and developments in education technology that can impact a nursing program. Evolving technologies in healthcare, legal and ethical issues, and expanding the scope of practice impact the safety and quality of patient care. These challenges must be reflected in the nursing curricula to ensure new graduates can solve clinical challenges, improve their prioritization and clinical judgments instead of merely memorizing facts. By revising the nursing curricula to include the most current technology ensures that graduates are prepared and have the necessary skills to enter the workforce. Nurse educators must support and adopt technologies that will challenge students to be critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and lifelong learners (Forneris & Tiffany, 2017). Rationale and Purpose of Proposal The use of technology has expanded the opportunities for instructors to shift from merely transmitting information to passive learners and instead engage learners to become active participants. As technology evolves, there are new ways to facilitate learning and meet individual needs and learning styles. The purpose of this proposal is to recommend an emerging technology, virtual simulation, as an active learning method to teach clinical judgment, critical thinking, and decision-making skills in a safe and controlled environment, and to integrate this technology in “The Role of the BSN Nurse in Promoting Community Health” course. The 31 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL rationale of this proposal is to support the development of clinical competencies in the next generation of care providers and contribute to the safety and quality of patient care by using virtual simulation as an effective pedagogical strategy in the current educational environment. As an educational institution, we must look at using teaching strategies in facilitating student learning in a technologically driven environment. To be successful, we must stop lecturing and use adaptive technologies to create opportunities for students to actively engage in the content being taught, enhance their learning experience, and improve efficiency in learning (Forneris & Tiffany, 2018). Filling the Curriculum Gap As mentioned previously, with the current curriculum, students must be in attendance for in-class lectures and discussion to gain an understanding of this course, use printed materials such as textbooks and journal articles. The gap analysis revealed the current learning method does not adequately engage learners and is ineffective in influencing affective and psychomotor domains of learning. It was determined that virtual simulation, an evidence-based active learning tool, can be used to facilitate student-centered learning and prepare students to learn and practice prioritization, clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and decision-making skills in a safe and convenient environment. Virtual simulation is a technology tool that can evaluate the effectiveness of students’ interventions to help improve their clinical judgment based on the consequences of their nursing interventions and pinpoint areas for improvements and deliver immediate remediation. Lastly, virtual simulation can address the difficulties of managing facility spaces and faculty resources by enabling the academic institution to expand the number of clinical scenarios available for student development (Diaz, et al., 2020). Significance of the Proposal 32 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL Diaz, D. A., Anderson, M., Hill, P. P., Quelly, S. B., Clark, K., & Lynn, M. (2020). Comparison of clinical options: High-fidelity manikin-based and virtual simulation. Nurse Educator, 1-5. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000906 Forneris, S., & Tiffany, J. (2017). Future of technology in nursing education part 1: The what and why of technology use in today's nursing student. Retrieved from: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/future-of-technology-in-nursing- education-part-1-the-what-and-why-of-technology-use-in-todays-nursin Forneris, S., & Tiffany, J. (2018). Future of technology in nursing education part 2: How nursing education programs are currently using educational technology. Retrieved from: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/future-of-technology-in-nursing- education-part-2-how-nursing-education-programs-are-currently-using HealthySimulation.com. (2020). High fidelity simulation. Retrieved from: https://www.healthysimulation.com/high-fidelity-simulation/#:~:text=High%20Fidelity %20Simulation%20is%20a,mannequins)%20in%20realistic%20patient %20environments. Huddle, C. (2019). Benefits, concerns, and prospective use of technology within nursing education. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 14(3). Retrieved from: https://cjni.net/journal/?p=6340 Jacobs, S., Taylor, C., Dixon, K., & Wilkes, L. (2020). The advantages and disadvantages of using High Fidelity Simulation as an environment to observe undergraduate nurses’ actions and their alignment with clinical judgement characteristics. Sciedu Press, 8(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.5430/cns.v8n1p15 35 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL Khalil, S. M. (2013). From resistance to acceptance and use of technology in academia. Open Praxis, 5(2), 151-163. Retrieved from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a891/b8c60352bf8db45761f7f575a637fd0572f7.pdf Kokemuller, N. (2017). Who are the key stakeholders involved in nursing programs? Retrieved from: https://careertrend.com/top-10-nursing-schools-in-georgia-3497726.html Mabry, J., Lee, E., Roberts, T., & Garrett, R. (2020). Virtual simulation to increase self-efficacy through deliberate practice. Nurse Educator, 45(4), 202-205. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000758 Maloney, S., & Haines, T. (2016). Issues of cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness for simulation in health professions education. Advances in Simulation, 1,13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-016-0020-3 Mitchell, G. (2013). Selecting the best theory to implement planned change. Retrieved from: http://home.nwciowa.edu/publicdownload/Nursing%20Department %5CNUR310%5CSelecting%20the%20Best%20Theory%20to%20Implement %20Planned%20Change.pdf Nursing Theory. (2020). Lewin's change theory. Retrieved from: https://nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/lewin-change-theory.php O'Reilly, E. N. (2016). Developing technology needs assessments for educational programs: An analysis of eight key indicators. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 12(1), 129-143. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1099589 Padilha, J. M., Machado, P. P., Ribeiro, A., Ramos, J., & Costa, P. (2019). Clinical virtual simulation in nursing education: randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet 36 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL Research, 21(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.2196/11529 Panapto. (2017). How to conduct an educational technology needs assessment in 5 steps. Retrieved from: https://www.panopto.com/blog/how-to-conduct-an-educational- technology-needs-assessment-in-5-steps/ Raza, M. (2019). Lewin’s 3 stage model of change explained. Retrieved from: https://www.bmc.com/blogs/lewin-three-stage-model-change/ Roe, D. (2018). Why email remains the top enterprise collaboration tool. Retrieved from: https://www.cmswire.com/digital-workplace/why-email-remains-the-top-enterprise- collaboration-tool/ Strekalova, Y. A., Krieger, J. L., Kleinheksel, A., & Kotranza, A. (2017). Empathic communication in virtual education for nursing students: I'm sorry to hear that. Nurse Educator, 42(1), 18-22. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000308 Sullivan, E. J. (2017). Effective leadership and management in nursing (9th Ed.). Retrieved from: https://wgu.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780134153209/cfi/6/102!/4@0.00:0 WGU. (2020). Technology needs assessment. Retrieved from: https://wgu-nx.acrobatiq.com/en- us/courseware/page/wgu_C922_01May18_emg_trend_chlg_cent_nsg_edu_1/ wbp_technology_needs_assessment Wolters Kluwer. (2016). The growing technology divide: Why nursing faculty can no longer ignore the future. Retrieved from: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/the- growing-technology-divide-why-nursing-faculty-can-no-longer-ignore-the-future 37 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL Mabry (2019) Strekalova “Virtual Simulation to Increase Self- Efficacy Through Deliberate Practice” with virtual simulation. The purpose of this study was to study the effects of deliberate practice through virtual simulation on nursing student’ self-efficacy. located in the southeastern area of the U.S. The population of interest were 1st-semester and 2nd- semester nursing students. varying patient populations and in larger numbers. Virtual simulation provided students with deliberate practice, which increased self- efficacy through cognitive capabilities, and experienced nursing errors in a safe environment. benefit students who have limited on-site clinical options. This article is relevant to this proposal as it demonstrates that self- efficacy improves with deliberate practice, which can be achieved with virtual simulations. study participants with a wide range of age (18-58 years old). Weakness: Study limited to pediatric and obstetrics clinicals. Level III Quasi- experimental, cross-sectional design Strength: Pre and post anonymous survey conducted on 3 different cohorts of students with a total of 151 students. Weakness: The authors did not pair pre- and post- surveys to compare individual improvements in self-efficacy. 2 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL (2017) Booth (2017) “Empathic Communication in Virtual Education for Nursing Students” “Exploring Learning Content and Knowledge The purpose of this study was to evaluate the communication strategies nursing students use to express empathy during simulated health assessments. The purpose of this study was to explore the content learned, The population of interest were 343 undergraduate nursing students attending a health assessment course at nursing schools in 1 of 8 states (CA, CO, FL, IL, KS, NY, PA, WS). The populations of interest were nursing students Virtual simulations are effective in the development of patient interviewing and therapeutic communication skills. Clinical simulations can offer nursing students the This article is relevant to this proposal as it reveals that the importance of empathic communication s and virtual simulation can help students improve their communication skills. This article is relevant to this proposal as it examines Level IV Retrospective data analysis Strength: 343 students had 9 different patient disclosure situations for empathetic opportunities, which were graded by raters with communication research background and blind to research questions. Weakness: Students’ assessment limited to the number of identified empathic opportunities and no feedback about the quality of responses provided. Level IV Qualitative, interpretive descriptive study 3 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM PROPOSAL Transfer in Baccalaureate Nursing Students Using a Hybrid Mental Health Practice Experience” and the knowledge transferred, in a hybrid mental health clinical course consisting of simulated and clinical setting experiences. attending an urban Canadian university who were enrolled in a six-week, introductory mental health nursing course. opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and skills to learn about therapeutic relationships when working with patients that have mental health issues. virtual simulation in helping nursing students understand complex mental health issues patient face in the community. design Strength: Participants were anonymized and data collector did not possess evaluation capacities over students. Weakness: Study consisted of 12 students enrolled in a six-week mental health nursing course. 4