Simulation For A Continuing Professional Education Course: Examining The Learning Gains And Perceptions Of Athletic Trainers

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was threefold.
First, this study compared the effects of two different simulation-based instructional
strategies on athletic trainers’ clinical competence in performing cardiovascular screening
with cardiac auscultations. Second, this study identified the athletic trainers’ perceptions
of learning through simulation-based instructional strategies. Third, this study attempted
to identify and offer instructional recommendations based on the outcomes.
The quantitative phase analyzed cognitive and diagnostic reasoning knowledge
and history-taking and clinical skills specific to cardiovascular screenings with cardiac
auscultations as it was taught to athletic trainers (ATs) at a continuing professional
education (CPE) course. The quantitative results found that high-fidelity and low-fidelity
simulation-based instructional strategies significantly increased cognitive and diagnostic
reasoning knowledge and history-taking and clinical skill from pre-test to post-test assessment on all dependent variables. When comparing the two fidelity types to each
other, the analysis found that the participants in the high-fidelity simulation group gained
significantly more skill when compared to the low-fidelity group.
In the qualitative analysis of this study, three themes emerged specific to the
perceptions of the athletic trainers’ experiences as they learn through simulation-based
instructional strategies. The first theme that emerged was a clear indication that
participants’ exhibited positive perceptions of learning through simulation-based
instructional strategies. The second theme that emerged was that the high-fidelity
simulation experience during the pre-assessment and post-assessment raised an
awareness of the deficit of knowledge and skills in performing a comprehensive
cardiovascular screening with cardiac auscultations. Lastly, the third theme that emerged
was specific to the perceived limitations in the effectiveness of low-fidelity simulation
and the perceived strengths in the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation.
A few instructional recommendations emerged from this dissertation study.
Simulation-based instructional strategies are an ideal teaching method to utilize during
continuing professional education courses with athletic trainers. Specifically, this study
identified that both, high-fidelity and low-fidelity simulation, are effective in teaching
cardiovascular screening with cardiac auscultations. Additionally, the participants
perceived influences of a pre-test on the identification of their knowledge and skills
deficit suggests that there are benefits of utilizing an authentic simulation pre-test as part
of CPE courses.