Natalie Neubauer (Seton Hall University); Vikram Dayalu (Seton Hall University); Caryn Grabowski (Seton Hall University)

This presentation describes a virtual simulation curriculum supporting final semester SLP masters students in attaining clinical competency for entry-level practice in lieu of in-person clinicals during COVID-19. Group 1 (>30 hours needed) & Group 2 (< 30 hours needed): Over 8 or 6 weeks, respectively, students completed virtual assessments, "task trainers", and interventions. Extent of case practice was contingent on prior skill exposure and hours needed. Group 3 (Required no clinical hours): Student teams completed cases aligned with clinical externship caseload (e.g. adult vs. pediatric). SLP’s lead collaborative student debriefs focused on peer modeling, problem-based and reflective learning. Formative assessments included simulation “scores”, clinical documentation, and case discussions. A summative competency assessment was used to measure student clinical skills (e.g. interprofessional practice, differential diagnosis) for pediatric and adult cases. All students met or exceeded competencies required of entry level clinicians. A prescriptive virtual simulation curriculum supplementing in-person skill learning proved to be effective for students to meet program completion and professional credentialing requirements.

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