RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Studies have shown the efficacy of videos used in isolation to retain knowledge, acquire skills, and establish students' self-confidence. A few studies have investigated the efficacy of videos associated with simulations, while none of these studies have addressed bed bathing, one of the first procedures learned by nursing students. OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of a video-assisted bed bath simulation on improving the performance of psychomotor skills of undergraduate nursing students. DESIGN: A randomized clinical trial. SETTING: A Teaching Skills and Simulation Center at a Federal University in Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: All students regularly enrolled in the second year of the nursing undergraduate program at a Federal University, aged 18 years old, who had never performed a bed bath and had attended a theoretical class addressing the procedure (n = 56). METHODS: The students were randomized into two groups: the Control group (n = 28) simulated a bed bath with the instructions of a tutor, while the Intervention group (n = 28) watched a video during the bed bathing simulation, under the supervision of a tutor. The performance of students concerning bed bathing was assessed twice (before and after the simulation) using a previously validated instrument. RESULTS: The psychomotor skills of both groups significantly improved in the second assessment, and the Intervention group scored higher (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a video during bed bath simulations was efficacious for improving the performance of psychomotor skills of undergraduate nursing students.
