Utilization of the Simulation Environment to Practice Teach-Back With Kidney Transplant Patients

Patient self-management after organ transplant surgery is complex and requires a high degree of knowledge to prevent complications. The teach-back technique can be used to confirm patient knowledge and clarify misunderstandings when preparing patients for discharge, but it requires practice in order for it to be effective. Standardized patient simulation can be an effective way to train registered nurses to provide patient education such as teach-back. Authentic learning theory guided the design of education that allowed registered nurses who care for kidney transplant patients to practice and demonstrate the teach-back process in a simulation center using standardized patients. Outcomes included learner satisfaction, learners viewing the activity as useful to the real-work environment, knowledge retention three months after the event, a statistically significant increase in confidence with teach-back, high levels of self-reported application of teach-back in clinical practice, and a decrease in kidney transplant 30-day readmission rates. Standardized patient simulation for teach-back education with registered nurses was effective and should be considered in the educational design for topics that require communication.