Efficacy of an Antimicrobial Reality Simulator (AMRSim) as an Educational Tool for Teaching Antimicrobial Stewardship to Veterinary Medicine Undergraduates

Abstract

Purpose: Simulation-based medical education has changed the teaching of clinical practice skills, with scenario-based simulations being particularly effective in supporting learning in veterinary medicine. In this study, we explore the efficacy of simulation education to teach infection prevention and control (IPC) as part of Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) teaching for early years clinical veterinary medicine undergraduates. Methods: The intervention was designed as a 30-minute workshop with a simulation and script delivered online for 130 students as a part of hybrid teaching within the undergraduate curriculum. Learning outcome measures were compared between an intervention group and waitlist-control group using one-way between-groups analysis of covariance tests. Results: Significant differences between groups were found for outcomes measures related to short-term knowledge gain and confidence in IPC and AMS in small animal clinical practice. However, lateral knowledge transfer to large animal species clinical practice showed no significant differences. Student feedback indicated that the intervention was an enjoyable and engaging way to learn AMS. Conclusions: The intervention provided short-term knowledge gain in IPC protocols and enhanced procedural skills via active learning and motivation to learn in large groups of students. Future improvements would be to include large animal clinical scenario discussions and evaluate longer-term knowledge gain.