Change Management Educational Simulation for Nursing Students

This AI-powered simulation helps nursing students practice change management and communication skills in a corrections healthcare setting. Students play the role of a public health nurse trying to implement a flu vaccination program while interacting with a resistant corrections facility manager.

• Realistic Scenario: Students face common resistance patterns encountered when implementing public health initiatives in institutional settings
• Conversational AI: The simulation uses advanced AI to create a realistic, challenging stakeholder interaction
• Voice and Text Options: Students can communicate via text or voice recording
• Immediate Feedback: After completing the simulation, students receive detailed feedback on their change management and communication skills
• Transcript Downloads: The complete conversation can be saved for review and assignment submission

• Practice change management strategies in a safe environment
• Develop skills for addressing resistance and overcoming objections
• Learn to build alliances with resistant stakeholders
• Apply communication techniques for challenging conversations
• Receive personalized feedback on performance

[Include demo video link here]

In order to launch this app, you need to configure and set up the following three services:

1. Create an OpenAI account.

   • Purpose: Provides the AI capabilities for the app, including managing conversations, converting speech to text, and generating spoken responses.
   • Generate an API key.
   • Write down your key, as it will not be shown again.
   • You can delete and create a new key if needed.
   • Purchase credits for API use. It may take a few hours for the API to be active.

2. Create a GitHub account.

   • Purpose: Organizes and stores the app's code, making it easy to update and manage.
   • Fork this project from [GitHub Repository URL].
   • Name your fork and click Create fork.
   • Save the URL for your forked repository.

3. Create a Streamlit account.

   • Purpose: Hosts the app on a server and makes it accessible to users through a browser.
   • Click Create an app.
   • Select Deploy from repo.
   • Enter the URL of your forked repository.
   • Provide a unique and memorable URL for your app.
   • Choose Advanced settings, and under Secrets, add your OpenAI API key and app password in the following format:

   OPENAI_API_KEY = "your_openai_api_key"
   password = "your_app_password"

   • Click Save and then Deploy.

Note: Secrets may take a few minutes to propagate. If you see an error about a missing key, wait a few minutes and then reboot your app under Manage app.

If the issue persists, confirm that the key appears under App settings > Secrets.

Once set up correctly, you'll see the app interface.

1. Click Share to get your app link.
2. Open the link in a private browsing window or log out of Streamlit.
   • Shortcut keys:
     • Chrome, Safari, Edge: Ctrl-Shift-N (Windows) or Command-Shift-N (Mac).
     • Firefox: Ctrl-Shift-P (Windows) or Command-Shift-P (Mac).

1. Go to your forked repository on GitHub.
2. Navigate to the settings.toml file and click Edit file.
3. Update the file content as needed and click Commit changes.
   • Add a short, descriptive title and summary for your changes.

The settings.toml file uses TOML format for configuration. You can modify:

• Intro: The scenario introduction and instructions shown before students start.
• Instruction: The AI character's personality, responses, and evaluation criteria.
• Sidebar: Information displayed in the sidebar about Sam Richards.
• Parameters: Voice settings, AI model, and temperature for responses.

To update avatars, replace the relevant files in the assets folder.

IMPORTANT: After committing changes, you need to reboot your Streamlit app from the dropdown menu under Manage App.

This simulation is designed to help students:

1. Apply Change Management Principles: Create urgency, build a coalition, develop a vision, and remove barriers
2. Navigate Resistance: Identify types of resistance and develop strategies to address them
3. Practice Effective Communication: Maintain professionalism despite resistance, use active listening, and adapt messaging
4. Develop Problem-Solving Skills: Generate creative solutions to legitimate barriers
5. Build Relationship Skills: Establish rapport with resistant stakeholders

Students using this simulation will be evaluated on:

1. Communication Skills: Professional demeanor, active listening, clarity, adaptation, and persuasive techniques
2. Change Management Application: Creating urgency, building alliances, addressing "what's in it for me," and developing strategies
3. Problem-Solving: Identifying underlying concerns, generating solutions, demonstrating flexibility, and prioritizing
4. Professionalism: Maintaining composure, focusing on goals, and demonstrating respect despite resistance
5. Overall Effectiveness: Achieving breakthrough moments and securing commitment for next steps

The simulation can be adapted for various healthcare settings and change management scenarios by modifying:

• The resistant stakeholder's role and objections
• The public health initiative being implemented
• The institutional setting
• The specific resistance patterns and concerns
• The evaluation criteria and feedback focus

• Streamlit: For building an interactive user interface
• OpenAI API: For text generation (GPT-4o), text-to-speech (TTS-1), and speech-to-text (Whisper)

This simulation was developed by the Columbia University School of Nursing to provide students with practical experience in change management and healthcare leadership in challenging settings.