Virtual Clinical Excursions 3. 0 for Maternity and Women's Health Care

Book excerpt: Completely updated for easier use and more control, VCE Pacific View 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 CD-ROM 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. Users will also discover that this edition of VCE is easier to use with the inclusion of flash-based technology and the elimination of previously needed third-party plug-ins. Meaningful, 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 NCLEX examination-style questions that offer built-in testing of clinical knowledge. 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. A clock icon appears under each lesson, estimating how much time it will take to complete. A linkage icon alerts the user whenever they are about to begin an exercise that connects with previous lessons. The elimination of third-party plug-ins facilitates fast and easy software installation. Flash-based technology allows for more ease of use and seamless navigation. Greater faculty support with the addition of the FAC PAC, a new instructors' website, and a radically expanded testing component. A medication administration feature enables users to select, prepare, and administer medications. Over 50 common medication errors imbedded within the software to boost clinical realism and prepare students for current practice. A Medication Room that contains a wide variety of drug storage areas, such as a Unit Dosage Cabinet, Automated Dispensing System, IV Storage, and a Refrigerator. 6 unique patients/cases, each with complex medical-surgical conditions for students to care for and monitor within the virtual hospital.