ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The National League for Nursing (NLN) has endorsed simulation as a necessary teaching approach to prepare students for the demanding role of professional nursing. Questions arise about the suitability of simulation experiences to educate students. Empirical support for the effect of simulation on patient outcomes is sparse. Most studies on simulation report only anecdotal results rather than data obtained using evaluative tools. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine student perception of best educational practices in simulation and to evaluate their satisfaction and self-confidence in simulation. DESIGN: This study was a descriptive study designed to explore students' perceptions of the simulation experience over a two-year period. Using the Jeffries framework, a Simulation Day was designed consisting of serial patient simulations using high and medium fidelity simulators and live patient actors. SETTING: The setting for the study was a regional campus of a large Midwestern Research 2 university. PARTICIPANTS: The convenience sample consisted of 199 participants and included sophomore, junior, and senior nursing students enrolled in the baccalaureate nursing program. METHODS: The Simulation Days consisted of serial patient simulations using high and medium fidelity simulators and live patient actors. Participants rotated through four scenarios that corresponded to their level in the nursing program. Data was collected in two consecutive years. Participants completed both the Educational Practices Questionnaire (Student Version) and the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale. RESULTS: Results provide strong support for using serial simulation as a learning tool. Students were satisfied with the experience, felt confident in their performance, and felt the simulations were based on sound educational practices and were important for learning. CONCLUSIONS: Serial simulations and having students experience simulations more than once in consecutive years is a valuable method of clinical instruction. When conducted well, simulations can lead to increased student satisfaction and self-confidence.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Patient Simulation , Personal Satisfaction , Students, Nursing/psychology , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate , Female , Humans , Learning , Male , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The 3-calendar-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum program was developed to facilitate a quicker entry into professional nursing practice. This program offered many advantages, including financial and time-saving benefits for students, more efficient use of campus facilities, and flexibility in faculty scheduling. Evaluation of the program showed benefits in the success rate of course-work, in retention and graduation rates, and in subsequent NCLEX-RN pass rates. The NCLEX-RN pass rate for students in the 3-calendar-year BSN program was 98.33%, compared with the national average pass rate (88.01%) for the same 5-year period for first-time test takers. The 3-calendar-year BSN program met the needs of both traditional and nontraditional students. It produced quality nurse graduates who were successful NCLEX-RN first-time test takers. The program has potential to be adopted by other universities with a student base composed of individuals of modest resources and diverse backgrounds.
