Birth to Discharge: Neonatal Simulation Clinical Experiences

With an increase in nursing programs to combat the projected nursing shortage, there is more competition for clinical sites for Obstetric-Neonatal clinical rotations. Obstetric and neonatal simulation clinical experiences are being substituted for hospital clinical rotations and for lack of patients during clinical rotations. A technical college in the Southeast United States is using five-hour simulation clinical experiences, in which Obstetric and Neonatal high-fidelity manikins are utilized, as substitutes for hospital clinical rotations or lack of Obstetric-Neonatal patients. Neonatal nursing care is related to the type of disorder the pregnant patient is admitted with to the Antepartum/Intrapartum Simulation Laboratory Hospital Unit. Three patient scenarios are used for the clinical experiences: neonates born to mothers with gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or preterm labor. Neonatal complications such as hypoglycemia and prematurity are incorporated into the scenarios. Nursing students use fetal monitoring to identify fetal complications to provide appropriate nursing care to the neonate after delivery. This use of simulation clinical experiences has been endorsed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and the National League of Nursing as a substitute for hospital clinical rotations. The significance of using Obstetric-Neonatal simulation clinical experiences is increased understanding by nursing students of the entire antepartum through postpartum nursing care and discharge process. Using the high-fidelity manakins and fetal monitoring, nursing students can obtain hands-on experience when unable to obtain the clinical experience due to lack of a hospital rotation site or lack of patients during their hospital clinical rotation.