Senior dental hygiene students at the UNMC College of Dentistry experienced what it’s like to treat special needs patients with complex dental conditions in a cutting-edge operating room simulation at the Davis Global Center, UNMC’s highly advanced clinical simulation facility designed to foster patient care within interprofessional teams.
“The college of dentistry serves many special needs patients who suffer from complex dental conditions, often due to a lack of proper preventive care,” said Amanda Dolen, an assistant professor at the UNMC College of Dentistry.
The dental hygiene faculty organized the simulation to provide students with an interprofessional, collaborative experience. The purpose of the simulation was to prepare students to assist in treating patients in an OR, enhance their understanding of the role of dental hygienists in this setting and allow them to witness firsthand the essential contributions of dental hygienists to patient care.
“We wanted our students to experience what it’s like to treat special needs patients, to develop empathy for them and to understand how the preventive care dental hygienists provide can keep these patients out of the OR,” Dolen said.
Research indicates that simulations create a safe learning environment where participants can practice their skills, improve teamwork and achieve specific learning outcomes. This was the department’s first IPE simulation at the Davis Global Center.
An interprofessional team at UNMC facilitated the simulation, which included a presentation on informed consent and four learning stations.
Jane Broekemeier, a clinical instructor at the UNMC College of Dentistry, said the students found this experience invaluable.
“Our students reported that the simulation deepened their understanding of the need to educate patients and their caregivers on preventing oral disease, as well as the importance of treating them with empathy throughout their oral health care experience,” Broekemeier said. “We are optimistic that this experience will lead to improved oral health for some very special people.”
Elizabeth Freeman, a senior dental hygiene student, said the experience helped her realize the complexity of dental care.
“I especially enjoyed learning from Dr. (Corinne) Van Osdel about treating special needs patients and experiencing how an operating room runs,” Freeman said.
Lisa Moravec, an associate professor at the UNMC College of Dentistry, said the department plans to expand this initiative.
“We are incredibly grateful for the collaborative efforts of everyone involved in this pilot project, which made the initial simulation a remarkable success, and we look forward to continuing to offer our students this valuable experience,” Moravec said.