Development and Evaluation of an Online Simulated Hospital Unit for Nutrition Assessment Training

Abstract

Students in a didactic program in dietetics (n = 147) and dietetic interns (n = 50) engaged with a web-based clinical simulation to practice the nutrition care process. An evaluation survey with open and closed-ended questions was used to collect data from participants. Survey results indicated that a majority of participants felt the simulation was easy to engage with, was valuable to their education, and facilitated their understanding of conducting nutrition assessments. Qualitative analysis of open-ended questions produced themes in participants' responses to their experience with the simulation. A web-based clinical simulation can be valuable in dietetics education and effectively support learning.