Amy Daniels, PhD, RN, CHSE-A, Assistant Professor of Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice, UM School of Nursing

Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, CRNP-Neonatal, FNAP, FAAN, Associate Professor and Chair of Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice, UM School of Nursing

Sister Barbara Brillant, Dean, Mother Patern College of Health Sciences

Since 2010, UMB School of Nursing has had a sustained partnership with Mother Patern College of Health Sciences in Liberia and has partnered in the development of an advanced practice nurse program in the country. This proposal seeks to build on this well-established partnership by training Liberian faculty in the U.S. and Liberia who will be implementing a family nurse practitioner program in Liberia.

The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated the importance of Simulation-Based Education (SBE). With limited clinical access, nurse educators and practitioners in the U.S. and abroad are forced to increase the use of simulation for clinical education experiences and expand the use of virtual simulation. While many nurse educators and practitioners actively engaged in SBE to teach students or reach their patients, few nurse educators in LMIC have SBE competency-based education. Opportunities to receive training in SBE are limited and no programs exist in Liberia. SBE training is a forward-thinking resource for nurses in Liberia. This proposal requests funding to prepare Liberian nurses to meet the need for simulation by requesting funding for planning and implementing a SBE workshop to prepare nurses, advanced practice, registered nurses, and nurse educators as leaders in simulation in Liberia.

The proposed activity for this funding request is the development and implementation of a train the trainer course for nurse educators who will teach in Liberia schools of nursing. This course will provide basic skills to integrate virtual simulations into curricula as well as how to use best practice in implementation and debriefing of these simulation-based clinical teaching approach. As part of this work, a pre-assessment and post-assessment will assist in identifying feasibility of continued use and potential expansion of such a training program.

The implementation of the program would include a one-day on-site workshop for educators that reside in the United States and visit Liberia regularly for the purpose of educating nurses. Nurse educator participants will also join virtually from Liberia. The U.S. based group of educators is seeking support and training in bringing simulation-based education to their Liberian nurse practitioner program to strengthen their nursing education.