Innovating Nursing Education: Utilizing ChatGPT for Simulated Telephone Triage Training (Spotlight Poster)

Introduction: The modern healthcare environment increasingly relies on telephone triage as an effective method to allocate medical resources and provide timely care. Pre-licensure BSN nursing students often find themselves inadequately prepared for this challenging yet crucial aspect of nursing practice. This educational gap necessitates the integration of innovative pedagogical strategies to simulate real-world scenarios, thus enhancing students' competence and confidence in telephone triage.

Methodology: To address this need, we designed a unique simulation exercise using ChatGPT, a sophisticated language model, as a simulated patient in telephone triage scenarios. The simulation encompasses a variety of clinical situations, such as assessing chest pain, managing fever in a child, and responding to symptoms of a potential stroke. Faculty members oversee the simulation, offering real-time feedback and subsequently facilitating a comprehensive debriefing session. Alignment with evidence-based practice: This simulation model aligns with established evidence-based guidelines for nursing education, including the concepts of repetitive practice for skill acquisition and faculty-led debriefing for reflective learning. Preliminary observations and faculty feedback indicate a marked improvement in students' confidence levels and clinical reasoning abilities.

Learning objectives: By the end of the simulation, the learner will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the steps involved in telephone triage, adhering to established guidelines and protocols. By the end of the simulation, the learner will employ clinical reasoning to effectively prioritize patient concerns and recommend appropriate interventions. By the end of the simulation, the learner will articulate medical advice or recommendations to the simulated patient (ChatGPT) clearly, empathetically, and accurately.

Expected outcomes: Enhanced student self-efficacy in executing telephone triage, as measured by pre- and post-simulation self-assessment surveys. Demonstrable improvement in students' clinical reasoning skills, evaluated through faculty scoring rubrics. Improved communication skills, assessed through faculty observation and peer reviews, utilizing validated communication assessment tools.

Learning outcome: At the conclusion of this presentation, attendees will gain insights into designing and implementing a realistic, scalable, and cost-effective telephone triage simulation using ChatGPT. This innovative approach has the potential to significantly impact the development of clinical reasoning and communication skills in nursing students. By adopting this multi-faceted simulation approach, nursing education programs can better prepare students for the complex demands of telephone triage, thereby enhancing patient care quality and safety.