Emilia Campos de Carvalho
University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Title: Assessment of reasoning diagnostic of nursing students in clinical simulation: The DTI contribution
Biography
Biography: Emilia Campos de Carvalho
Abstract
The aim of this study was to verify the difference in the diagnostic reasoning between sophomore and senior year undergraduate students in a clinical simulation, evaluated by the Diagnostic Thinking Inventory (DTI). Nursing students participated individually in a high-fidelity clinical simulation (scenario + debriefing); the purpose was to evaluate the patient with sickle-cell disease, to diagnose an acute pain and to make appropriate interventions. The design and implementation of scenario was elaborate based in NLN/ Jeffries Simulation Theory1 . After simulation, they responded to DTI2 , validated for Brazilian culture with nursing students3 . It is a Semantic Differential Scale (6 points, score 41-246 points) that evaluates the flexibility in thinking (21 items) and evidence structure knowledge in memory (20 items) that in this sample presented Alfa Cronbrach 0.82. The scores were compared (total and two domains) of two groups of students. Participants were 41 students, 90% female, mean age 23.8 years; 56% intermediate level. The average of the total DTI scores did not differ between groups (by T student Test; p= 0,334). There was no difference between the mean responses for domain flexibility in thinking (by T student Test; p= 0,125) and structure knowledge in memory domain (by U Mann Whitney Test; p= 0,765). The groups demonstrate similar performance considering the total and domains scores of DTI. Although the findings may reflect the performance of groups of students, given the sample size, are
needed similar studies for new data to be integrated into these.