Igniting the Idea
Let’s Get Started!
Educators continuously reflect, imagine, conceptualize, create, and revise teaching and learning strategies. Ideas on how to improve the learning process are continuously ignited when you work with students, heightened when you collaborate with colleagues, and supported when you apply evidence-based content to your teaching practice. Depending on your position in education, certain ideas are more meaningful in relation to the student learner, academic objectives, and your teaching goals. Choosing the right idea is key when planning to create a virtual gaming simulation (VGS).
You may already have an idea in mind, which has brought you to this resource. The first step is to set the plan in motion and begin to develop the outline. As for many educators, the initial idea originates through personal experience and professional practice.
How do you begin the outline and set the plan in motion?
There are many factors to consider as you begin to outline your VGS. For example:
- Who is your student learner?
- What course/curriculum will the VGS be incorporated in?
- What learning needs or gaps will the VGS address?
- Are there existing VGSs that address the topic?
- If so, is it redundant or addressing new concepts?
- What are the learning objectives of the VGS?
- What is the storyline of the VGS?
- Who will you invite to be part of the team (e.g., educators, experts, students, stakeholders)?
Every virtual gaming simulation is different and requires different support and resources. These questions will be discussed further in Chapter 2: The Virtual Gaming Simulation Process.
Choosing a Storyline
Choosing a storyline is the one of the first steps in outlining the project needs. For example, if you are teaching first-year health assessment, your storyline may be based on assessing vital signs of a client in long-term care. Whereas if you are teaching fourth-year practice, your storyline may be focused on leadership and delegation skills when working within an interprofessional team.
It is important to keep the scenario as realistic as possible. Using experiences from your own practice, as well as student experiences with real patients to create realism. The more tangible the storyline, the better prepared you will be to develop a thorough outline and anticipate the project needs. Choose a scenario that is meaningful to your learners, the content of the course, and the learning goals you aim to address.
Virtual Gaming Simulation (VGS) Model
Throughout this resource, a Virtual Gaming Simulation (VGS) Model textbox will be used to illustrate the key components of the development process. You can use this model as a tool to help guide you through the various stages of designing your own virtual gaming simulation. The first textbox introduces you to the virtual simulation scenario.
Virtual Gaming Simulation (VGS) Model
Steps in Developing a Virtual Gaming Simulation
The following is an example of a virtual gaming simulation (VGS) case scenario that the authors initiated. This VGS example will be used throughout each chapter in this open educational resource (OER) to illustrate the development process of a virtual simulation.
Virtual Gaming Simulation Case Scenario
You are Jamie O’Neil, a registered nurse (RN) working on a medical unit.
Today you will be caring for Benjamin Diaz, a 53-year-old client (pronouns: he/they) who was admitted yesterday morning at 0800 for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The client was experiencing increased coughing with pain, sputum production, wheezing, shortness of breath, and nausea for the last 48 hours prior to going to the emergency department. The client was admitted and transferred to the medical unit at 2000hrs last night.
The client has a history of smoking (quit cigarettes and marijuana smoking 6 months ago), type 2 diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and anxiety. The client has seasonal allergies and has gained 9 kg/20 lbs over the past year.
The client is a primary school teacher and lives in Toronto with his partner. Currently, they are renovating their home and are “living through the construction mess.” The client stated he is eating out more and his diet has changed due to the kitchen renovations.
This is the client’s third day on the unit. The client’s vital signs are: respiration rate 20 breaths per minute, oxygen saturation 90% on room air, temperature 37.9 degrees Celsius (oral), heart rate 100 beats per minute, blood pressure 138/84 mmHg, body mass index 26.4. Monitor vital signs every 4 hours and PRN. Intravenous (IV) saline/cannula lock in the client’s left hand.
You start your shift by reviewing the client’s medication administration record (MAR), lab results, and report from the RN coming off shift.
Additional Resource
International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL): Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice™
When beginning your virtual simulation journey, it is important to follow best practice standards to ensure a well design simulation based in evidence. The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) has developed Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice™ that outline the 10 standard best practice guidelines and a simulation glossary that you can use to help guide you during the design process. The Standard were originally designed for in-person simulation, though can be used for virtual simulation methodology (Watts, Rossler, et al., 2021).
The Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best PracticeTM Simulation Design will help you to begin the outline for your virtual simulation.
Reference
Watts, P. I., McDermott, D. S., Alinier, G., Charnetski, M., Ludlow, J., Horsley, E., Meakim, C., & Nawathe, P. A. (2021). Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best PracticeTM Simulation Design. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 58, 14–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.08.009
Watts, P. I., Rossler, K., Bowler, F., Miller, C., Charnetski, M., Decker, S., Molloy, M. A., Persico, L., McMahon, E., McDermott, D., & Hallmark, B. (2021). Onward and Upward: Introducing the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best PracticeTM. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 58, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.08.006
