Use of simulated patients for a student learning experience on managing difficult patient behaviour in speech-language pathology contexts

Abstract

A student learning experience about managing difficult patients in speech-language pathology is described. In 2006, 40 students participated in a daylong learning experience. The first part of the experience consisted of presentations and discussions of different scenarios of interpersonal difficulty. The theoretical introduction was followed by an active learning experience with simulated patients. A similar experience without the simulated patients was conducted for 45 students in 2010. Both years of students rated the experience with an overall grade and gave qualitative feedback. There was no significant difference between the overall grades given by the students in 2006 and 2010. The qualitative feedback indicated that the students valued the experience and that they felt it added to their learning and professional development. The students in 2006 also provided detailed feedback on the simulation activities. Students endorsed the experience and recommended that the learning experience be repeated for future students. However, the students in 2006 also commented that they had felt inadequately prepared for interacting with the simulated patients. A learning experience with simulated patients can add to students’ learning. The inclusion of simulated patients can provide a different, but not automatically better, learning experience.

Keywords::

• Difficult patients
• simulated patients
• speech-language pathology
• communication disorders
• action learning
• experiential learning.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the medical actors Julia Gray, Steven James, Sarah Machin Gale, Melina Nacos, and Mark Prince, who jointly comprise the Ruckus Ensemble of Toronto. More information about the ensemble may be found at http://www.ruckusensemble.com/. The authors also acknowledge the partial funding provided by the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. Jennifer Allegro, Joanne Deluzio, Brenda Lewson, Luc De Nil, Loralee McLean, Penny Parnes, and Yana Yunusova were involved with the conceptual and practical organization of different learning experiences in the years 2005–2010. Christina Khaouli helped with the data analysis.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.