1. Patient Simulations Improve Dietetics Students' and Interns' Communication and Nutrition-Care Competence.
- Author
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Buchholz, Andrea C., Vanderleest, Kaitlyn, MacMartin, Clare, Prescod, Alexia, and Wilson, Ann
- Subjects
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ANALYSIS of variance , *COMMUNICATION , *DIET therapy , *DIETITIANS , *HEALTH occupations students , *HOSPITAL medical staff , *NUTRITION education , *SCIENTIFIC observation , *RESEARCH funding , *SIMULATED patients , *T-test (Statistics) , *JOB performance , *PRE-tests & post-tests , *UNDERGRADUATES , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
To investigate the impact of simulated patients on dietetics students' and interns' communication and nutrition-care competence. Pre-post observational study in which students' communication and nutrition-care competence was evaluated during the first and final clinical nutrition simulations in winter, 2017. University of Guelph, Canada. Seventeen undergraduate students enrolled in Applied Clinical Skills (NUTR*4120) and 15 graduate students/interns enrolled in Practicum in Applied Nutrition II (FRAN*6720). Selected communication and nutrition-care performance indicators (PI) (undergraduates = 18; graduate = 33) included in the Canadian Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice, each measured out of a maximum of 3 points. Grand means of communication and nutrition-care PI scores were compared across 2 time points using paired t tests, at a significance level of.05. Undergraduates' (n = 15) communication and nutrition-care PI scores increased by 0.9 ± 0.35 (49.7%) and 0.8 ± 0.22 (45.8%) points, respectively (both P <.001). Graduate students' communication and nutrition-care PI scores increased by 0.4 ± 0.45 (18.5%) and 0.7 ± 0.59 (37.9%) points, respectively (both P <.01). Simulated patients incorporated into clinical nutrition courses increase dietetics students' and interns' communication and nutrition-care competence. More research using comprehensive practice-based competency assessment tools is needed in larger samples of students and interns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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