Simulation is more than working with a mannequin: Student’s perceptions of their learning experience in a clinical simulation environment

Abstract

Purpose: This paper describes undergraduate nursing students' assessment of learning in a clinical teaching model that replaces 50% of the traditional clinical hours with high-fidelity simulation. We assessed students' perceptions of the use of best practices in simulation teaching, and the importance assigned to each teaching practice to support learning. Methods: Longitudinal program evaluation design. We surveyed undergraduate nursing students with the Educational Practices Questionnaire (EPQ) at the mid-point (semester 2) and end of the program (semester 4). We used paired t-tests to assess changes in student EPQ scores between mid-and end-program. Results: Results showed that students' reported greater exposure over time to clinical simulation activities that fostered active learning and high expectations; the degree to which they rated collaborative learning as important also increased. Conclusions: Students' perceptions of the use of educational best practices and the importance of simulation in nursing education from program mid-point to end-point lends support for a clinical teaching model that uses a simulation to substitute for traditional clinical hours.

Paramedic students’ confidence and satisfaction with clinical simulations of an emergency medical care programme in South Africa: A cross-sectional study

“…http://www.hsag.co.za Open Access technologies are used in healthcare education for ensuring this. Clinical simulation has emerged as a significant instructional method for creating conducive learning environments, improving satisfaction and confidence in learning, and enhancing knowledge and skill acquisition (Rodriguez et al 2017). This is a function of the view that clinical simulation allows students to repeatedly practise skills and procedures, and lecturers to offer prompt and specific feedback for every mistake the students make until they master those specific skills and procedures (Omer 2016).…”

“…These explanations indicate that clinical simulation is a 'student-centred and hands-on' approach that considers the learning needs and styles of learners.Over the past two decades, healthcare education witnessed an increase in the use of clinical simulations in its instructional designs (Karkada et al 2019). This is a function of the role clinical simulation plays in ensuring quality care provision and patients' safety, given that it enables learners to repetitively practise clinical skills to specific levels of proficiency in risk-free environments (Rodriguez et al 2017). The notion of risk-free environments suggests that students can make mistakes and learn from them without the fear of harming patients.…”

Reliability and validity study of the Spanish adaptation of the “Educational Practices Questionnaire” (EPQ)

“…[ 10 ]; 4) Collaborative learning: simulation promotes collaborative learning as it provides a reality-like environment where all participants work together for the same purpose and share the decision-making process [ 11 ]. This can offer several advantages, allowing participants to learn from different disciplines and learn about teamwork and, if they have different levels, novice nurses can even be given the opportunity to learn from experts [ 12 ]; 5) High expectations: it is important that the expectations before performing the simulation are high, so that both students and instructors feel empowered to achieve greater learning in a safe environment [ 13 ]; 6) Diversity in learning: people have different learning needs depending on their personal characteristics. It is important to implement different teaching methodologies in the curricula, including simulation [ 14 ] and 7) Time: through simulation we can give training in techniques to reduce times in real clinical practice [ 15 ].…”

Supervised internship in undergraduate education in nursing: integrative review

“…However, currently, the simulation has taken more contemporary approaches, offering opportunities to develop work experiences through complex clinics in safe learning environments. The American Association of Nursing Colleges recently released a report stating that there has been a large increase in the use of realistic high fidelity simulation in Higher Education in Nursing for the potential to develop clinical reasoning and decision making in a controlled and safe manner (37) . Active methodologies are in line with the need to review old traditional, content-oriented, professor-centered training processes (35) and advance to those that can develop complex thinking, decision-making, and differentiated skills, transposing personal characteristics that have simple and primary mental processes that are incapable of guaranteeing prominent positions in the competitive and fast labor market today (36) .…”