Virtual simulation to help advanced practice learners refine clinical judgement and decision-making skills.

WATERBURY, Conn. (September 14, 2022) – On the heels of National Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Week, which aims to generate awareness and highlight the importance of a unified model for Advanced Practice, Sentinel U®, a provider of web-based simulation education technology solutions for nursing schools, hospital systems and healthcare professionals, announces its new Advanced Practice Series® virtual simulation is available for purchase.

Designed for advanced practice learners, the new simulation series’ authentic virtual encounters enable nurse practitioner, physician assistant/associate (PA) and medical students to hone clinical judgement and decision-making skills to make accurate diagnoses and establish proper plans of care. The robust virtual simulation series offers 55 unique patient encounters within 11 specialty areas, including typical and complex adult and pediatric care, women’s health, mental health, cardiology, oncology, and gerontology. Each module introduces a diverse patient population from a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds exhibiting common complaints in various clinical areas.

“We are proud to be first to market with a virtual simulation tool designed specifically for the advanced practice market,” said Jeffrey Caplan, president of Sentinel U. “Our Advanced Practice Series® provides learners with an authentic and immersive real-world experience that helps hone their skills by practicing and refining essential diagnostic and care competencies.”

With genuine scenarios created by subject matter experts, learners will advance through each clinical encounter while reviewing the patient inquiry, history and physical (H&P) examination, and review of systems (ROS) within the electronic health record (EHR). Additionally, the modules reinforce knowledge of international classification of diseases (ICD), current procedural terminology (CPT), and healthcare common procedure coding system (HCPCS) codes for billing consideration.

“This launch comes at a critical time for nursing education as clinical placements are becoming more difficult to find” said Sentinel U Vice President of Clinical Learning Resources Laura Gonzalez, Ph.D., APRN, CNE, CHSE-A, ANEF, FAAN. “With advances in simulation technology, like Advanced Practice Series®, students can demonstrate competency in a risk-free virtual environment, allowing nurses to master specific skills prior to entering the clinical setting.”

The Advanced Practice Series® features EMPOWER™, Sentinel U’s self-led, asynchronous standardized debrief experience, which enables learners to critically analyze their performance. EMPOWER guides learners through seven reflective steps: explore, misconceptions, practice standards, opportunities, wins, evaluate, and reflect and review. Its purpose is to arm learners with the knowledge, skills and aptitudes to formulate sound clinical judgments in future practice situations ensuring they are competent and confident when facing a clinical situation.

Educators will appreciate that each module includes a faculty guide, feedback and rationales, along with a dashboard with an evaluative report. The assignments align academically with competencies for PA professionals adopted by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA); the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) role-specific competencies; Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies; and American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials for advanced-level nursing education.

Sentinel U recently launched a request for research proposals for its second annual Sentinel U® Nursing Simulation Research Grant (SUNSRG) program. This year’s program will utilize the company’s Advanced Practice Series® virtual simulations. The research initiative seeks to validate the product’s effectiveness in strengthening learners’ diagnostic acumen and patient care management knowledge and its viability as a tool for nurses to demonstrate competency prior to entering a clinical setting.

For more information about Sentinel U, visit https://sentinelu.com/. To apply for the SUNSRG program, visit https://explore.sentinelu.com/research-grant-2022/.