Influence of undergraduate nursing student teaching methods on learning standard precautions and transmission-based precautions: Experimental research

Objectives An experimental study was performed with undergraduate nursing students in order to determine, between two methodologies, which is the best for learning standard precautions and precautions based on disease transmission mechanisms. Methods Students in the sample are stratified by performance, with the experimental group (49 students) being exposed to self-instruction and clinical simulation on the topic of standard precautions and special precautions according to disease transmission mechanisms. Conventional classes on the same topics were provided to the control group (49 students). Results The experimental group showed the best performance in the multiple-choice post-test of knowledge (p = 0.002) and in the assessment of essay questions (p = 0.043), as well as in the evaluation of a simulated scenario, in relation to the control group. Conclusions This study demonstrates that it is possible to transfer some teaching subjects on the prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) to self-learning by means of virtual teaching strategies with good results. This allows greater efficiency in the allocation of teachers to clinical simulation or learning situations in the laboratory, where students can apply what they have learned in the self-instruction module.