School of Nursing researcher publishes on hazard simulation training

Barbara J. Polivka, Ph.D., R.N., Shirley B. Powers Endowed Chair & Professor, University of Louisville School of Nursing, and researchers at The Ohio State University recently published a manuscript in the online journal Clinical Simulation in Nursing titled “Gaming Simulation as Health and Safety Training for Home Health Care Workers.”

Funded by a three-year, $870,000 grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the researchers developed an interactive virtual simulation training system to educate home health care professionals about 150 hazards they might face in a client’s residence. Researchers are testing the system, which eventually will be available to train nurses, occupational therapists and home health care aides.

The article describes how the researchers developed and evaluated the simulation system, which covers three main areas: slip, trip and lift hazards; fire and electrical hazards; and environmental hazards.

Read the article here.