Abstract
Improving communication among healthcare providers has been identified as a national goal by both The Joint Commission and Institute for Healthcare Communication (TJC, 2013; IHC, 2011). Inaccurate and poor communication have been identified as significant contributors to sentinel events within the healthcare setting (TJC, 2013). Faculty continue to encounter challenges related to identifying appropriate and innovative methods to evaluate student communication in the clinical setting as well as providing a controlled environment to offer feedback to students related to patient management strategies. This presentation will describe three interactive evaluative activities used for online and distance students in Pediatric Acute, Adult-Gerontology Acute, and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) tracks at a private Midwestern university. The first activity involved an online simulation with students early in their clinical experience focusing on student presentation to preceptors. The second activity occurred in subsequent practicums and involved students engaged in an online audio-video grand rounds presentation allowing for interaction with peers and faculty. The third activity included students participating in a simulated on call day which involved on the spot critical thinking. Students outcomes for each activity were evaluated using established rubrics and grading criteria. All activities allowed for student-faculty and student-student interaction and evaluation, which is an essential component to consider when developing and maintaining online nurse practitioner programs.