Using Virtual Patient Simulation as a Training Modality to Build Capacity in Digitally Enabled Compassionate Care Among Nurses and Physicians

Postdoctoral Fellow, Women’s College Hospital

COVID-19 forced a rapid shift from in-person to digital care which outpaced the ability for healthcare providers to understand how to translate their skills via digital platforms. Previous work has identified how compassionate care manifests in digital interactions and where gaps exist. Geneviève’s project will explore how to address these gaps with an existing virtual patient simulation, aimed to improve relational skills, to support primary care nurses and physicians in building the necessary skills for compassionate digitally-enabled care. She will pursue two objectives: 1) Describe the program theory of the simulation, i.e., understand how and why it works to achieve its desired outcomes; 2) Adapt and validate the program theory to focus on digital compassion competency, leading to a virtual patient simulation. Nurses and physicians will be interviewed to identify the simulation components to be adapted and integrated in the patient simulation.