Advancing nurse scope of practice in the republic of Moldova using simulation

Background: Nurse identity in the Republic of Moldova is undergoing change to achieve recognition as a profession. This article describes a faculty development program designed to help articulate the professional nurse role and scope of practice through enhanced teaching pedagogies used in basic nursing education. Method: Experiential learning strategies such as high-fidelity simulation, unfolding geriatric case study, role-play, task trainers, moulage, and teach-back were used to demonstrate the nursing process and scope of practice. Results: Fifteen faculty from five technical colleges of nursing participated in the Geriatric Nursing Institute (GNI). Debriefings yielded positive responses on using experiential learning strategies to augment didactic methods to facilitate student competencies, nurse identity, and scope of practice. Conclusion: The GNI contributed to the professional development of faculty with potential impact on nursing students to achieve enhanced preparedness in global nurse competencies. Although the pedagogical innovations were welcomed, future initiatives building on the GNI are needed.