Alessandra Mazzo

Bio: Alessandra Mazzo is an academic researcher from University of São Paulo. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nursing care & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 128 publications receiving 1151 citations. Previous affiliations of Alessandra Mazzo include Universidade de Ribeirão Preto.

A experiência clínica simulada no ensino de enfermagem: retrospectiva histórica

Abstract: OBJETIVOS: particularizar o ritual do ensino de procedimentos basicos de enfermagem, analisar as implicacoes de sua utilizacao e discutir sua pertinencia, face aos contextos atuais para o ensino e para a pratica. METODOS: estudo historico-social de rituais incorporados ao metodo de ensino teorico-pratico de Enfermagem em Portugal e no Brasil. Como fontes primarias, foram utilizados documentos escritos (oficios, apostilas, manuais) e fotograficos; e como fontes secundarias: livros-texto, dissertacao de mestrado, tese de doutoramento e artigos de periodicos. RESULTADOS: descricao, analise, interpretacao e sintese que expoe ao leitor uma viagem na historia quanto aos rituais e mudancas ocorridas na formacao de recursos humanos de enfermagem e saude. A simulacao foi discutida em termos da pertinencia face as exigencias eticas, seguranca e qualidade em saude, avanco tecnologico e mudancas nos ambientes e contextos da pratica clinica. CONCLUSAO: o uso da simulacao atende as necessidades e ao contexto atual de ensino teorico-pratico.

Development of a theoretical-practical script for clinical simulation*

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To develop a theoretical-practical script based on the opinion of experts to be used in simulated clinical activities. METHOD Qualitative study through analysis of content of interviews with experts on the theme in order to develop the proposed script. Of the 24 invited experts, 12 specialists from educational institutions in Brazil and abroad participated in the study in compliance with the ethical precepts. The experts responded to questions on the characterization of their study attributes and described the items required for the development of a simulated scenario. In view of the responses obtained, data content was analyzed and classified into units and subunits of significance. RESULTS The items mentioned for the development of the script generated seven units of significance. The units and subunits of significance were gathered in three stages of the main components of the simulated scenario: prior, preparation, and finals. CONCLUSION This study enables an innovative, stimulating teaching experience, making it easier for professors to use the simulation resource as a learning process in an effective and objective manner, as a guide to professors and researchers in the area of clinical simulation.

Students' satisfaction with simulated clinical experiences: validation of an assessment scale

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: validate an assessment instrument of nursing students' satisfaction with simulated clinical experiences.METHOD: a 17-item scale was applied to students from the Teaching Diploma Program in Nursing, after a set of simulated clinical experiences. Factorial analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation was used, and the internal consistency was estimated to determine the validity of the scale.RESULTS: in a sample of 181 students, we found a high correlation between practically all items and the total scale, with an Alpha coefficient of 0.914. The scale items were divided in three factors: practical dimension, realism dimension and cognitive dimension, with good internal consistency coefficients of 0.89; 0.88 and 0.73, respectively.CONCLUSION: the scale complies with the validity requisites, revealing a high potential for use in research.

Prevención de lesiones de piel en el perioperatorio: revisión integradora de la literatura

Abstract: La toma de decisiones en la practica diaria del enfermero necesita ser basada en conocimiento cientifico. La practica basada en evidencias es una aproximacion que establece la utilizacion de resultados de investigaciones en la practica clinica, con la revision integradora como uno de sus recursos. La finalidad de esta revision integradora es buscar y evaluar las evidencias disponibles sobre las intervenciones eficaces de enfermeria para la prevencion de lesiones de piel en el paciente quirurgico, en el periodo transoperatorio, o como resultado del mismo. Utilizamos dos bases de datos, Cinahl y Medline, para la seleccion de los articulos, resultando en una muestra de 14 articulos. Tras el analisis de los articulos incluidos en la revision, los resultados de los estudios indicaron que los dispositivos considerados los mas eficaces en la prevencion de lesiones de piel fueron, sucesivamente, el sistema de colchon dinamico pulsante multi-celula, la almohada de polimero seco visco-elastico y almohadas con gel.

Clinical Virtual Simulation in Nursing Education: Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract: Background: In the field of health care, knowledge and clinical reasoning are key with regard to quality and confidence in decision making. The development of knowledge and clinical reasoning is influenced not only by students’ intrinsic factors but also by extrinsic factors such as satisfaction with taught content, pedagogic resources and pedagogic methods, and the nature of the objectives and challenges proposed. Nowadays, professors play the role of learning facilitators rather than simple “lecturers” and face students as active learners who are capable of attributing individual meanings to their personal goals, challenges, and experiences to build their own knowledge over time. Innovations in health simulation technologies have led to clinical virtual simulation. Clinical virtual simulation is the recreation of reality depicted on a computer screen and involves real people operating simulated systems. It is a type of simulation that places people in a central role through their exercising of motor control skills, decision skills, and communication skills using virtual patients in a variety of clinical settings. Clinical virtual simulation can provide a pedagogical strategy and can act as a facilitator of knowledge retention, clinical reasoning, improved satisfaction with learning, and finally, improved self-efficacy. However, little is known about its effectiveness with regard to satisfaction, self-efficacy, knowledge retention, and clinical reasoning. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of clinical virtual simulation with regard to knowledge retention, clinical reasoning, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with the learning experience among nursing students. Methods: A randomized controlled trial with a pretest and 2 posttests was carried out with Portuguese nursing students (N=42). The participants, split into 2 groups, had a lesson with the same objectives and timing. The experimental group (n=21) used a case-based learning approach, with clinical virtual simulator as a resource, whereas the control group (n=21) used the same case-based learning approach, with recourse to a low-fidelity simulator and a realistic environment. The classes were conducted by the usual course lecturers. We assessed knowledge and clinical reasoning before the intervention, after the intervention, and 2 months later, with a true or false and multiple-choice knowledge test. The students’ levels of learning satisfaction and self-efficacy were assessed with a Likert scale after the intervention. Results: The experimental group made more significant improvements in knowledge after the intervention (P=.001; d=1.13) and 2 months later (P=.02; d=0.75), and it also showed higher levels of learning satisfaction (P<.001; d=1.33). We did not find statistical differences in self-efficacy perceptions (P=.9; d=0.054). Conclusions: The introduction of clinical virtual simulation in nursing education has the potential to improve knowledge retention and clinical reasoning in an initial stage and over time, and it increases the satisfaction with the learning experience among nursing students.