Implications for school nurses using simulator dolls to manage unplanned teen pregnancy

Hussain, Humaira; Jomeen, Julie; Hayter, Mark; Tweheyo, Ritah

Abstract

Background:
School nurses are key professionals in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health.

Aim:
The aim of this study is to explore teenagers' perceptions of their practical parenting skills and their attitudes toward experiential learning through the use of high fidelity baby simulators.

Methods:
Virtual baby simulator dolls were used as part of sex and relationship education with school students (aged 15–16 years) to look after over a weekend. Students were recruited from a UK academy and completed a diary of their experiences while parenting, received quantitative feedback simulator reports and completed a post-study evaluation questionnaire.

Findings:
Students saw the virtual baby project as beneficial and important in schools and perceived an improvement in their understanding of practical parenting skills, sexual health and contraception.

Conclusion:
The implications of this paper are toward involving school nurses more actively in sexual health education in schools via the use of high-fidelity simulators as creative pedagogy in PSHE.

Citation

Hussain, H., Jomeen, J., Hayter, M., & Tweheyo, R. (2019). Implications for school nurses using simulator dolls to manage unplanned teen pregnancy. British Journal of School Nursing, 14(4), 177-188. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2019.14.4.177

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 9, 2019
• Online Publication Date: May 17, 2019
• Publication Date: May 2, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jun 26, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 3, 2019
• Journal: British Journal of School Nursing
• Print ISSN: 1752-2803
• Electronic ISSN: 2052-2827
• Publisher: MA Healthcare
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 177-188
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2019.14.4.177
• Keywords: School nursing; Relationship and sex education; Teenage pregnancy; Virtual baby; High fidelity simulators
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/1815339
• Publisher URL: https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968/bjsn.2019.14.4.177
• Additional Information: This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in British journal of school nursing, copyright © MA Healthcare, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2019.14.4.177