Low resource, high impact: Just-in-time training toolkit in response to a public health crisis

Background

Infectious disease crisis requires incident specific training and presents unique circumstances for teaching and learning to protect patients and healthcare workers. This toolkit was developed by a team of nurse educators and infection prevention researchers to a) offer training to nurses and nursing students who were frontline healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of personal protective equipment in the context of the hierarchy of controls and b) evaluate the just-in-time training using simulation methods.

Methods

Interactive content for online delivery was developed, including briefing, simulation content, and debriefing. Participants were recruited via professional, practice, and academic networks. Instructors and learners were asked to complete an evaluation on satisfaction with learning, self-confidence, and design. Data were collected between May 2020 and September 2023; descriptive quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed.

Results

Demographic data from 1,239 participants across 18 countries shows the majority were female (89%), 20-30 years old (81%), nurses (97%), and practiced in academic (48%) settings. Evaluation data from instructors (N = 39) and learners (N=1,159) was positive overall (M = 4.1; M = 4.5, respectively).

Conclusion

Simulation for just-in-time training with online video observation during a pandemic offers nurse educators in academia and practice settings a rapid, feasible, and safe method of learning crisis-specific infection prevention and occupational safety practice guidance.