Date of Award
7-8-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
School Name
College of Health Professions
Department
Health Professions
Major Advisor
Dr. Nancy York
Second Advisor
Dr. Chris Webb
Third Advisor
Dr. Elizabeth Cook
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Lyndsey Blair
Abstract
Virtual simulation (VS) has become an emerging technology to address the needs of graduate nursing students enrolled in asynchronous online programs (Fogg et al., 2020; National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties [NONPF], 2025). Due to the relative infancy of VS compared to its time-tested, in-person counterpart, limited evidence exists regarding rigorously developed, asynchronous VS grounded in established simulation best practices and theoretical frameworks. Inconsistencies in simulation design elements, evaluation methods, and outcome measurements are prominent in the literature (Kuszajewski et al., 2021; Patel et al., 2025). The purposes of this dissertation were to (a) examine the current evidence regarding VS in graduate nursing education by way of a scoping literature review and (b) develop and evaluate two asynchronous, pharmacology-focused telehealth VSs utilizing artificial intelligence (AI)-generated standardized patients (SPs) for graduate nursing students.
Recommended Citation
Hart-Williams, Meaghen L., "INNOVATING GRADUATE NURSING EDUCATION: A PILOT PROJECT TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE VIRTUAL ASYNCHRONOUS PHARMACOLOGY-FOCUSED TELEHEALTH SIMULATIONS" (2026). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones. 224.
https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/tdc/224
Included in
Family Practice Nursing Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Other Education Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons