Book Description

Virtual Clinical Excursions Pacific View Regional Hospital is a groundbreaking workbook/CD-ROM package that brings learning to life in a "virtual" hospital setting. This guided learning experience features textbook reading assignments that correspond with the CD-ROM and workbook activities. The workbook acts as a map, guiding students through the virtual hospital as they care for patients in the virtual hospital to help students make connections between what they experience through the CD-ROM and what they've learned in their textbook. Each virtual hospital visit allows the student to access realistic information resources essential to patient care resulting in a true-to-life, hands-on learning experience. Real-world problems place users in nursing scenarios where they can set priorities for care, collect data, analyze and interpret data, and reach conclusions about complex problems within a health-illness transition. The highly-engaging format encourages active learning and provides opportunities to identify information to collect and process data for evidence-based patient care; work with data entry and retrieval screens; optimize use of available information resources; understand hospital information systems; manage information for decision-making; and maintain and improve core computing skills. Lessons in the workbook complement the content in the textbook and guide the student through the virtual hospital. Includes over 250 NCLEX-RN examination-style questions based on the VCE patients that offer built-in testing of clinical knowledge. The virtual hospital gives students the opportunity to monitor and care for six unique patients/cases, each of whom has complex medical-surgical conditions. The online testing program includes more than 250 NCLEX-style questions for each patient, allowing instructors to assess and measure students' understanding and clinical judgment for each case. Each workbook activity includes time icons showing how long it should take the average student to complete the exercise and linkage icons to indicate that a previous activity must be completed before attempting the one at hand. Augments knowledge of physical assessment by allowing the student to examine and document vital signs, as well as assess information related to the head and neck, chest, back and spine, upper extremities, abdomen, pelvic, and lower extremities. The CD-ROM offers users the opportunity to visit each patient and access realistic information essential for patient care, including: charts, medical administration records, electronic patient records, video clips of nurse-client interactions, and other related materials. Offers students the opportunity to monitor and care for one or more patients during three 45-minute periods of care within a 12-hour shift. Clinical Alerts highlight changes in the patient's condition within these 45-minute periods. A Time Icon appears under each lesson, indicating how much time it will take the student to complete the activity. Includes 6 unique new patients/cases, each with complex conditions for students to care for and monitor within the virtual hospital. A new Medication Room that introduces students to a wide variety of drug storage areas, such as a Unit Dosage Cabinet, Automated Dispensing System, IV Storage, and a Refrigerator. A medication administration feature enables users to select, prepare, and administer medications, reinforcing the precepts of safe medication in a harm-free environment. Over 50 common medication errors imbedded within the software to boost clinical realism and prepare students for current practice. Greater faculty support with the addition of the Fac Pac, a new instructors' website, and a radically expanded testing component. A drug guide provides complete drug monographs for all medications used within the program.