Use of Simulated Patients in an Online Genetics Program
Janet Willhaus, Ph.D., RN, CHSE, CHSOS, College of Health Sciences
About the project
In 2019, Boise State University launched the first fully online Genetic Counseling program in the nation. Dr. Willhaus and her associates have been evaluating the use of simulated patients (people trained to act as if they suffer from certain genetic diseases or conditions) in telehealth encounters to determine if this method of training is effective for students engaged in the online program. The goal is to determine whether these students can effectively prepare for fieldwork by receiving training in an online sphere with simulated patients.
About the author
Dr. Janet Willhaus earned a Ph.D. from the Washington State University College of Nursing in Spokane, and joined the faculty of the School of Nursing at Boise State University in 2013. Her earlier education includes an M.S.N., with an emphasis in nursing education, from Fort Hays State University, and a B.S. in nursing from Bethel College in North Newton, KS. She has been teaching nursing since 2001, and also served as an officer of the US Army Reserve Nurse Corps, where she learned the value of simulated learning. Her dissertation research examined the physiological and psychological effects of stress on performance among health professions students during simulation activities, and her research interests continue to include the pedagogy of simulation.