simulation training in nursing education

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Simulation is frequently used teaching methodology in nursing education and staff development learning environments. Simulation is valued for its ability to provide realistic, context-rich experiential learning in a safe environment. From simulated patients, to low and high fidelity manikins, to virtual reality, each context provides a unique perspective and can facilitate learning and evaluation of patient care situations along the continuum of care. The NLN, in collaboration with Laerdal Medical and Wolters-Kluwer Health, is a recognized leader in simulation development, from unfolding simulations to simulation faculty development courses and virtual simulation scenario development. To promote professional development in this area, the NLN offers a variety of sophisticated resources and activities. ​

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Types of Simulation in Nursing Education

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• Types of Simulation
• Examples of Simulation Scenarios

Preparing for Simulation

• What To Expect
• Pros and Cons of Simulation

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Simulation first appeared in nursing in 1911 when Mrs. Chase, the first mannequin , was used to teach students how to turn, transfer, and dress patients. Simulation techniques have greatly advanced in the last 111 years, but the basic concept remains the same.

Simulation provides a realistic setting and safe environment for students to apply the knowledge they learned in class. Then, they can use what they learned in simulation and apply it to clinical practice.

Simulation might seem like it’s one more complicated thing to add to your already full plate as a nursing student. Consider the pros and cons of simulation, what to expect, and how to complete them successfully.

Nursing students may be familiar with types of simulation in nursing education, such as standardized patients, role playing, and low-fidelity mannequins. Yet, nursing education uses so many more types of simulation.

The online learning environment for nurses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic forced nursing programs to come up with new ways to teach students nursing skills.

Unfolding Case Studies

Unfolding case studies change over a period of time in a way that the student cannot predict. They help students practice their patient assessment skills. Unfolding case studies allow students to dive deep into their patients’ complex situations, and because some of them are available at no cost, they are cost effective.

Unfolding case studies may also prepare students to apply clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills.

High-fidelity Mannequins

High-fidelity mannequins are computer-controlled full-body mannequins. They most closely replicate the responses, physiology, and anatomy of a patient. Because they are the most adaptable form of simulation, high-fidelity mannequins are typically the most favorable. However, they are also one of the most expensive.

Low-fidelity Mannequins

Low-fidelity mannequins include two-dimensional displays, static models, and partial-task simulators. They are the least real type of simulation. They can help students build knowledge because they allow students to go at their own pace. They can also help students learn a specific skill, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation or intravenous insertion.

Partial-task Simulators

Partial-task simulators are a body part, such as an arm or a head, that allow nursing students to practice a skill many times without causing wear and tear or using more expensive equipment.

Volunteers Who Act as Standardized Patients

Standardized patients are volunteers who behave in a realistic way to simulate clinical interaction. Standardized patients can make practicing communication and assessment skills more successful. Some of these skills include taking a patient history, asking for informed consent, explaining a procedure, and giving bad news.

Role-Playing

Role-playing asks students to act out a situation. Because role-playing does not require any props or realistic surroundings, this method of simulation is relatively low cost. Despite its low-fidelity, role-playing can benefit students, especially for changing attitudes or team training.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality uses computers and standardized patients to create a realistic simulation. This form of simulation is still new and gaining popularity in healthcare. Virtual reality can be used to teach patients about complex situations with many people involved because some technologies allow students to care for more than one patient at a time.

E-learning includes all simulations on the computer. These can be a video computer program explaining how to use a device or a highly complicated virtual reality situation where students interact with patients and other healthcare providers.

A Combination of Simulations

A combination of simulations uses two or more of the previous types of simulations to create a more realistic simulation. It can also help students practice more than one skill at a time. For example, an instructor could secure a suture cushion to a standardized patient. In this simulation, the student can practice suturing a wound while getting informed consent and explaining the procedure.

Examples of Simulation Scenarios for Different Classes

The American Nurses Association recommends that the most effective simulations require faculty to coordinate what classes are going to use simulation scenarios. This way, students only repeat key skills in multiple classes. Otherwise, they learn different skills and experience new simulations in each of their classes. Below are examples of common scenarios.

Maternal Health

Students can perform newborn assessments using a newborn simulator or an appropriately sized doll. Students learn how to care for a laboring pregnant individual, especially in high-risk situations such as the pregnant patient hemorrhaging.

Leadership Courses

Students benefit from role-playing scenarios of ethical dilemmas or nurse-to-nurse bullying to learn useful strategies on how to deal with it.

Students can practice infant assessment in a clinical setting. Standardized patients can act as parents or guardians with cultural differences to help students practice with scenarios, such as with a parent or guardian who does not want their child vaccinated.

Mental Health Nursing

Standardized patients help reduce students’ anxiety and stress and build their communication skills by listening to the patients and answering their questions correctly.

Medical-Surgical I or II

Students practice recognizing the signs of stroke in an older patient who was admitted to the hospital for another condition like surgery.

Multiple Classes

Students may practice their skills in patient handoffs, handwashing, and medication safety in multiple classes because those skills need repeating.

Faculty and students must prepare for the simulation, so students can get the most out of the simulation experience. Faculty prepare when they set up the simulation in a way that best helps students meet the objectives of the simulation. Students prepare in the prebriefing stage when they gather information, ask questions, and make a plan of action for the simulation.

Faculty design simulation scenarios that help students best meet the objectives of the simulation and learn the skills they need to be successful. Simulation faculty need to be trained in simulation and debriefing techniques, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Simulation Guidelines and the International Nursing Association of Clinical and Simulation Learning (INACSL) Standards for Designing Simulation .

Other key standards from the INACSL:

• Create a case scenario that provides context for the simulation
• Begin with a prebriefing and end with a debriefing or feedback session
• Provide preparation materials and resources that help students meet the objectives and outcomes of the simulation
• Use an approach based on the participant’s level of knowledge, skills, and experience as well as the outcomes of the simulation
• Structure the simulation to have a starting point that shows the initial circumstances of the patient, structured activities for participant engagement, and an endpoint (that is usually when learning outcomes are achieved)

Students prepare for the simulation in the prebriefing stage. The type of simulation will help determine how students prepare. Some of the ways students can prepare for the simulation include:

• Reviewing key nursing skills like surgical techniques or intravenous insertion
• Preparing a plan of care for the patient and questions for the patient or parent/guardian
• Listening to the prebriefing
• Discussing their approach to the simulation with their classmates
• Researching the patient’s condition

What to Expect in Nursing Simulation

Well-planned, effective simulation consists of three phases: prebriefing, simulation, and debriefing. Faculty must plan for and students must participate in all three phases for the simulation to be successful.

Pros and Cons of Simulation in Nursing Education

Simulations provide students with a safe environment to practice skills as much as needed without harming patients. However, they can be costly, they cannot replicate the clinical situation, and they can cause students to learn incorrect information if designed poorly.

• Aebersold M. (2018). Simulation-based learning: No longer a novelty in undergraduate education.
• https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No2-May-2018/Articles-Previous-Topics/Simulation-Based-Learning-Undergraduate-Education.html
• At 101, ‘Mrs. Chase’ is a medical marvel. (2012). https://www.courant.com/
• Fogg N. (2020). Transitioning from direct care to virtual clinical experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7540562/
• Galloway S. (2009). Simulation techniques to bridge the gap between novice and competent healthcare professionals. https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol142009/No2May09/Simulation-Techniques.html
• Hargreaves L, et al. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic impact on nursing student education: Telenursing with virtual clinical experiences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8529906/
• INACSL standards of best practice: SimulationSM simulation design. https://www.nursingsimulation.org/action/showPdf?pii=S1876-1399%2816%2930126-8
• Increasing fidelity and realism in simulation for nursing students . (2018). https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/increasing-fidelity-and-realism-in-simulation
• Koukourikos K, et al. (2021). Simulation in clinical nursing education. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8116070/pdf/AIM-29-15.pdf
• NCSBN simulation guidelines for prelicensure nursing education programs. (2016). https://www.ncsbn.org/16_Simulation_Guidelines.pdf
• Unfolding cases. (2020). https://www.nln.org/education/teaching-resources/professional-development-programsteaching-resourcesace-all/ace-s/unfolding-cases

Page last reviewed September 12, 2022

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HIGHER EDUCATION

Enhancing Nursing Education Through Simulation-Based Learning

By EveryNurse Staff Writers |  Updated on July 10, 2024

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Summary : This article explores the significance of simulation in nursing education, including its importance in preparing students for real-world scenarios, the benefits of simulation for clinical skills training, the types of simulations used in nursing education, the responsibilities of nurse educators, the impact of simulation on nursing students, and the integration of simulation in nursing programs.

Related : How to Become a Nurse Educator

The Significance of Simulation in Nursing Education

Simulation is of immense significance in nursing education, as it serves as a bridge between theoretical knowledge and real-world healthcare scenarios. For example, high-fidelity simulators are used to create realistic patient care environments, allowing nursing students to apply their knowledge and skills in a simulated clinical setting. This hands-on experience not only enhances their clinical skills but also fosters the development of critical thinking and decision-making abilities, which are essential for their future roles as nurses.

Moreover, the use of simulation for clinical skills training in nursing education offers several benefits. For instance, it provides students with a safe and controlled environment to practice various nursing procedures, from basic patient care to complex emergency interventions. This type of experiential learning helps students gain confidence and competence in their skills, ultimately preparing them for the challenges they will face in real clinical settings.

Furthermore, the inclusion of patient simulators or standardized patients in nursing education allows students to interact with simulated scenarios that closely resemble real patient encounters. This type of simulation not only enhances students’ technical skills but also emphasizes the importance of effective communication, empathy, and interdisciplinary teamwork, all of which are essential for providing holistic patient care. Therefore, the integration of various types of simulations in nursing education is instrumental in shaping well-rounded and competent nursing professionals.

Educator's Role and Responsibilities in Nursing Education

Nurse educators are instrumental in shaping the future of nursing by designing and implementing nursing education curriculum. They are tasked with the crucial responsibility of ensuring that nursing students are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to thrive in the dynamic and high-pressure environment of healthcare. For instance, they must develop a curriculum that effectively integrates theoretical knowledge with practical applications, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in simulated healthcare scenarios .

Becoming a nurse educator requires individuals to meet specific qualifications and experience levels. Aspiring nurse educators typically need to earn a minimum of a master’s degree and amass several years of practical experience in the nursing field. This ensures that they have a comprehensive understanding of the clinical aspects of nursing, as well as the expertise to impart this knowledge to the next generation of nurses.

Furthermore, nurse educators have access to a wide array of resources, including professional organizations and educational platforms, which aid in their continuous professional development and the ongoing enhancement of nursing education programs. These resources enable nurse educators to stay abreast of the latest advancements in nursing and education, allowing them to continually refine and improve their teaching methodologies to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare industry.

Impact of Simulation on Nursing Students

The impact of simulation on nursing students cannot be overstated. High fidelity simulation has proven to be invaluable in enhancing students’ clinical effectiveness and safety of practice, as evidenced by findings from a survey of undergraduate nursing students. The realistic scenarios presented through high fidelity simulations allow students to experience and navigate high-pressure clinical situations in a controlled environment, leading to improved preparedness for real-world healthcare scenarios. For example, when nursing students engage with high fidelity simulators, they not only enhance their learning but also develop crucial skills and confidence, which are essential for their future roles as healthcare professionals.

Moreover, the positive impact of simulations on nursing students’ clinical effectiveness and safety of practice is further demonstrated by the link between theory and practice provided by high fidelity simulators. This authentic learning experience helps students bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application, ensuring that they are well-prepared to handle a wide range of clinical situations upon entering the workforce. As a result, nursing students are better equipped to make critical decisions and provide high-quality patient care, ultimately contributing to improved healthcare outcomes.

Integration of Simulation in Nursing Programs

The integration of simulations in nursing programs, such as Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) programs, plays a crucial role in preparing students for real-world healthcare scenarios. For example, Xavier University’s ABSN program includes at least one simulation per term, covering various patient care scenarios that become more complex as the curriculum advances. These simulations are designed to provide students with a realistic and immersive experience that mirrors the challenges they will face in their future nursing careers .

Nursing simulation rooms are meticulously structured to replicate hospital environments, ensuring that students have a safe yet authentic space for hands-on learning. This provides students with an opportunity to practice and refine their clinical skills in a controlled setting, allowing them to gain confidence and competence before they enter clinical practice.

Moreover, the emphasis on collaborative care and interdisciplinary teamwork in simulations not only prepares students for the realities of healthcare delivery but also fosters an understanding of the importance of working in multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic patient care. The structured debriefing sessions that follow each simulation enable students to reflect on their performance, identify areas for improvement, and receive constructive feedback from educators, contributing significantly to their overall learning and growth as future nursing professionals.

Simulation is of utmost significance in nursing education, offering a wide array of benefits for students as they prepare for real-world practice. Through the use of simulation, nursing students are exposed to various patient care scenarios that closely mimic real-life situations, allowing them to develop and practice their clinical skills in a safe and controlled environment.

Moreover, simulation-based learning is pivotal in enhancing critical thinking and decision-making skills among nursing students. By engaging in simulations that require them to make quick and accurate decisions, students are better prepared to face high-pressure clinical situations, thus improving their clinical judgment and ability to think critically in real-life healthcare scenarios.

As nursing education continues to advance and adapt to the evolving healthcare landscape, the role of simulation in preparing students for real-world healthcare scenarios is paramount. The integration of simulation-based learning in nursing education programs ensures that students are equipped with the necessary competencies to navigate the complexities of the healthcare environment and provide high-quality patient care upon entering the workforce.

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Nln center for innovation in education excellence, simulation: how do we best prepare and train our educators where do we begin.

• by NLN Nursing EDge
• Posted on January 28, 2022

By: Beth Hallmark, PhD, RN, MSN, CHSE-A, ANEF; Sabrina Beroz, DNP, RN, CHSE-A, FAAN; and Penni Watts, PhD, RN, CHSE-A

This past year, as the  pandemic swept the world creating challenges for educators and learners, simulation has been brought to the forefront of nursing education. This leads us to ask: How do we best prepare and train our faculty/simulation educators? Where do we begin?

It certainly is a hot topic, as demonstrated by the number of questions and comments on list servs and other forums. There are so many questions on how to get started, what to include in your training, and how much training is enough.

Well, you are in luck! The new and improved Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice™ were published in fall 2021. Included in this publication is a new standard entitled Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice™ Professional Development that provides a simple guide to direct simulationists in their professional journey. 

Professional development is not a one-time shot – it is ongoing. The role of a simulationist and the elements of each job description vary from institution to institution. The Professional Development standard ensures “the simulationist is trained at all levels of simulation design, implementation, and evaluation” (INACSL Standards Committee and Hallmark et al., 2021, p.5). We have a few suggested steps to get you started!

• Work with your faculty and other educators by doing a needs assessment. Have them do a self-assessment. What knowledge do they bring? What strengths do they have? What is their role in simulation? Use this information to create a development plan. We all come with different backgrounds and experiences so how to get started is not always clear cut – one size does not fit all.
• The 2021 edition of the Annual Review of Nursing Research focused on simulation-based education. Watts, Hallmark, and Beroz (2021) contributed a chapter on professional development for simulation education and offer a framework for providing simulation content based on Benner’s novice to expert theory as in the table below.

• Be sure to look at the evidence for developing your faculty/educators. The new standard provides a multitude of resources.
• Attend a simulation conference, participate in a webinar, network with other simulationists, or even complete a certificate program.
• Look for local and regional alliances such as the Tennessee Simulation Alliance or the California Simulation Alliance .
• The NLN has several sources such as the Simulation Innovation Resource Center (SIRC) , as well as free webinars .
• Join professional organizations such as the Society for Simulation in Healthcare , INACSL , ASPE , and the Global Network for Simulation in Healthcare .

There are always challenges. The most common are lack of time and the availability of resources. Sound familiar? Educators fill many roles with competing demands. However, the pandemic has shown simulation to be a profound methodology to meet expected teaching-learning outcomes.

The benefits of trained educators are abundant. According to the Healthcare Simulation Standard of Best Practice TM Facilitation, having trained educators is imperative for quality simulation experiences and positive outcomes. REMEMBER: The facilitator has full oversight for the simulation experience.

And one final step. Be sure to reevaluate your professional development progress and update your plan!

INACSL Standards Committee, Hallmark, B., Brown, M., Peterson, D., Fey, M., Decker, iS., Wells-Beede, E., Britt, T., Hardie, L., Shum, C., Arantes, H., Charnetski, M., & Morse, C.  (2021). Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice TM Professional Development. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.08.007

INACSL Standards Committee, Persico, L., Belle, A., DiGregorio, H., Wilson-Keates, B., & Shelton, C.  (2021). Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice TM Facilitation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.08.010

Watts, P.I., Hallmark, B.F., & Beroz, S. (2020). Professional Development for Simulation Education. In C. Kasper & T. Schneidereith (Eds), Annual Review of Nursing Research , 39 (1), 201-220. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33431643/

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Using simulation exercises to improve student skills and patient safety

Aby Mitchell

Lecturer, Public Health, Health Promotion and Primary Care, University of West London

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Georgiana Assadi

Lecturer, Mental Health Nursing, University of West London

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the delivery of nursing training in higher education and how workforce development programmes are delivered. Using simulated practice is an opportunity for experiential and immersive learning in a safe and supported environment that replaces real life. This article discusses the use of simulation in nurse education to improve patient safety.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the delivery of nursing training in higher education and how workforce development programmes are delivered ( Health Education England (HEE), 2020 ). This has created a need to transform and adapt current provision to resolve the impact on education and training. In recognition of this, current Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) emergency standards offer a maximum of up to 300 hours of simulated learning out of the overall 2300 practical learning hours where clinical practice is not possible ( NMC, 2021 ). The additional simulation hours are considered to be an effective, alternative way of learning, enabling flexibility in practical learning and supporting students in progressing their studies ( Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2021 ). This presents significant challenges in higher education, both in terms of resourcing and capacity, availability of practice assessors, ensuring proficiencies are assessed in a meaningful way that replicates clinical practice and improving patient safety.

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National Simulation Guidelines for Prelicensure Nursing Programs

Scope and purpose.

Simulation Guidelines for Prelicensure Nursing Programs  are meant to guide:

• Nursing Regulatory Bodies in evaluating the readiness of prelicensure nursing programs in using simulation as a substitute for traditional clinical experience.
• Nursing education programs in the establishment of evidence based simulation programs for the undergraduate nursing curriculum.

Coursework:

Prelicensure RN and LPN education programs

Guideline Development

An expert panel consisting of representatives from International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), American Association for Colleges of Nursing (AACN), National League for Nursing (NLN), Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), Boards of Nursing and NCSBN developed the guidelines based on data from the NCSBN National Simulation Study (Hayden, Smiley, Alexander, Kardong-Edgren, & Jeffries, 2014), studies in the literature, the INACSL "Standards of Best Practice: Simulation" and other pertinent resources.

An extensive literature review was conducted, which laid the basis for guideline development.

Definitions

Simulation: A technique, not a technology, to replace or amplify real experiences with guided experiences that evoke or replicate substantial aspects of the real world in a fully interactive manner (Gaba, 2004).

Traditional Clinical Experience: Practice in an inpatient, ambulatory care or community setting where the student provides care to patients under the guidance of an instructor or preceptor.

The Guidelines

Nursing education programs are advised to begin slowly and steadily increase the amount of simulation as they acquire expertise in this pedagogy.

Questions have arisen regarding the number of clinical hours a program should require in order to substitute clinical hours with simulation. All programs participating in the National Simulation Study (Hayden, Smiley, Alexander, Kardong-Edgren, & Jeffries, 2014) required at least 600 hours of clinical experience in the pre-licensure curriculum. No evidence is available regarding the outcomes of substituting traditional clinical experience with simulation when the program has less than 600 hours; however, experts agree that it is not the number of hours, but the quality of the experience. If students are going to be placed in clinical settings where there is inadequate opportunity for hands-on experience, employment of simulation by capable faculty with meaningful debriefing may offer a better alternative.

In addition to the simulation guidelines, Nursing Regulatory Bodies and nursing programs should consider the following criteria when determining the amount of simulation that can substitute for traditional clinical hours:

• Overall number of clinical hours required by the program
• Pass rates of students
• Availability of clinical sites
• Turnover of faculty/program director
• Complaints from students
• Retention rates

Program has the educational and technological resources and equipment to meet the intended objectives

Simulation Checklists

This resource allows programs to ensure that they have put in place the various policies, resources, and infrastructure that contribute to a successful simulation program. It may also be used by nurse regulators during program approval to assist in evaluating a nursing program’s simulation components. Download the Simulation Program Checklist

This resource allows programs to ensure that nursing faculty have been adequately prepared to deliver consistent and effective simulated clinical experiences. It may also be used by nurse regulators during program approval to assist in evaluating a nursing program’s simulation components. Download the Simulation Faculty Checklist

Simulation in Nursing Education: Which Type to Use and When?

Authored by.

Helen Murphy , BS, RDMS, CHTS-TR

With a growing shortage of registered nurses, many are wary of accepting the added responsibility of training pre-licensure students in clinical sites. One way to prepare nursing students in a safe environment is with simulations. In this white paper, Elsevier Digital Product Educator, Helen Murphy, discusses the growth of simulation in nursing education, the different types to use in the classroom, and how to decide which is right for your program to prepare students for clinical practice.

Download Here

Related content, demonstrating efficacy in clinical judgment skills using the digital clinical experience, alignment of content in simulation learning system to clinical judgment competencies, teaching and learning documentation for supporting nursing students’ practice readiness.

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Simulation Training

Edward JJ, Nichols A, Bakerjian D. Simulation Training. PSNet [internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, US Department of Health and Human Services. 2023.

Originally published in 2014 by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. Updated in March 2023, by Jennifer J. Edwards, MS, RN, CHSE, Amy Nichols, EdD, RN, CNS, CHSE, ANEF and Deb Bakerjian, PhD, APRN, FAANP, FGSA, FAAN. PSNet primers are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they reflect current research and practice in the patient safety field.

Clinical training for health care professionals has historically relied heavily on learning from actual patients, even for invasive procedures and life-threatening situations. In fact, medicine has had a history of promoting “see one, do one, teach one” that has persisted for decades.

However, considerable evidence documents the dangers posed by inexperienced clinicians and poorly functioning clinical teams, which prompted many to consider other teaching methodologies including simulation. Simulation is not new to healthcare training. There is evidence of surgical skill practice on animal cadavers in the Middle Ages, task trainers and birthing simulators in the 1600 and 1700’s and the first nursing manikin, Mrs. Chase, was developed in 1911. 1 In recent years, the use of simulation in healthcare education has continued to grow, including into the allied health professions . It has emerged as a key component of the patient safety movement and is increasingly being used to improve clinical and teamwork skills in a variety of settings. 1,2 This is based in part on its success in other industries including aviation. Simulation offers a way for learners to gain fluency with skills without risk to patients, and gain experience recognizing and responding to uncommon, high-risk, situations that might not otherwise occur over the course of their training.

When employed properly, simulation-based training allows the opportunity to learn new skills, engage in deliberate evidence-based practice, and receive focused and real-time feedback. The goal of simulation-based training is to enable the accelerated development of expertise, both in individual and team skills, by bridging the gap between classroom training and real-world clinical experiences in a relatively risk-free environment.

Methods of Simulation-based Training

There are several approaches to simulation training and depending on the material being emphasized, simulation curricula may employ one or more of these methods. While technology-enhanced simulation is effective, increasing technological sophistication of simulation may not always be necessary. The learning objectives of the simulation should drive the simulation methods used. Below are common methods and settings for simulation to take place.

Methods of Simulation:

• One method of simulation is to use devices for clinical skills trainings. Known as part-task trainers, these life-like simulators are used to train specific clinical skills. An example would be anatomically correct limb models, which are used to demonstrate phlebotomy skills or placement of intravenous catheters.
• Full-scale simulators are also widely used; the most common example is a full-body manikin. These range from low fidelity, offering anatomic landmarks, to high-fidelity manikins with realistic physiologic responses (such as heart sounds, seizure behavior, responsive pupils, and respirations). These are increasingly used to teach physical examination and other fundamental clinical skills, in addition to more complex clinical response. Almost all healthcare providers experience the use of manikins during Basic Life Support training.

Another frequently used method is to use standardized or simulated patients. Employing trained actors to simulate real patients has long been used to teach basic history taking and physical examination skills, and this strategy is also being applied to teach patient safety skills such as error disclosure . These methods are not mutually exclusive, and successful curricula often use combinations of these approaches.

Simulation can be used in a variety of different settings and the particular setting will often dictate the method selected. Below are examples of settings:

• Simulation centers: Simulations take part in specialized learning centers. Many are designed to replicate the variety of clinical spaces learners work in such as ambulatory offices, operating rooms, and emergency rooms, as well as equipment they work with such as ultrasound machines, task simulators, and virtual surgery simulators.
• Classrooms and skills or task labs: Many organizations do not have a simulation center but can use a classroom, break room, or a skills/task lab for simulation.  While the room may not emulate an operating room or emergency room, part- and full-scale simulators can be set up on tables to demonstrate and practice skills.
• In situ simulation: This approach refers to simulation carried out in the actual clinical environment with the providers who work in that location. It may involve use of part-task or full-scale simulators or standardized patients as well. Because of the potential risks to patient and staff safety in the clinical environment, special care needs to be taken when conducting simulation here, including identification of “no-go” criteria .

Over the past decade, more sophisticated and technologically enhanced settings have been developed. 3-6

• Virtual reality: In this modality, learners are immersed in a highly realistic digital clinical environment, such as an operating room or intensive care unit. Learners physically interact with the environment and each other, standardized patients or digital patients, as they would in real life, using systems that are increasingly complex and technologically sophisticated. This technology also allows for learners to be physically distanced from each other, which could be different rooms in a building or across oceans.
• Augmented reality: a variation of virtual reality in which images are superimposed over the users view of the world. This also offers distance learning approaches.   

Simulation has been successfully applied as formative experiences to develop foundational clinical skills as well as more advanced cognitive, communication and technical skills in both pre-licensure and residency training for medical and nursing students. 7-9 It is also being used for summative learner assessments in the form of Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE), which are a required component of many health professions training programs. 10-11

Simulation and Patient Safety

Simulation training is an effective educational modality, with strong evidence demonstrating improvement in learners’ knowledge, skills, and behaviors and simulation approaches have been shown to improve patient-level outcomes . A classic systematic review of more than 600 studies of technology-enhanced simulation training programs in health care found that technology-enhanced simulation training was associated with improvements in learners’ knowledge, skills, and behaviors, and improved patient outcomes. Virtual reality is being explored for usefulness in teaching team skills, communication, leadership and stress management. The recent evidence on simulation as a modality for teaching nontechnical skills is summarized in a 2018 PSNet Perspective . It is worth noting that some reviews have raised concerns regarding the methodological limitations of many simulation studies, including lack of standardization of training techniques, 12 randomization of participants, 13 and measurement methods 14,15 and highlight this as an area to consider in future simulation research.

Simulation is being widely integrated into teamwork training in a variety of environments, including the emergency department , operating room , and obstetrics units . Teamwork training that incorporates simulation often focuses on improving the ability of multidisciplinary teams to handle acute or emergent situations. Teamwork training with simulation has also been used with non-clinical personnel, such as one study in which non-clinician leadership and management had to respond to a simulated patient safety crisis. Research have shown that multidisciplinary simulation-based teamwork training can yield improvement in participants’ knowledge and skills in teamwork.

Simulation in patient safety has shown reduction in adverse events after targeted simulation training, including medication errors as described in this quality improvement intervention that showed improved nurses’ adherence to medication administration best practices from 51% to 84%. The application of human factors engineering methods to patient safety represents another purpose for simulation. Usability testing, which refers to testing new equipment and technology under real-world conditions, and clinical systems testing can be thought of as a form of simulation designed to identify latent safety issues , workarounds and test workflows, and operational readiness. In fact, advanced technologies have helped to provide learners experiences that integrate challenges such as difficult airway intubations, difficult births, and other technically challenging skills.

Simulation is a useful tool to improve patient outcomes, improve teamwork, reduce adverse events and medication errors, optimize technical skills, and enhance patient safety culture. 2 , 16-19  

Learner Experience

Creating a simulation environment conducive to learning is a key consideration in simulation training. Researchers examined 327 learner narrative accounts of simulation experiences and found that while the majority of respondents focused on the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes of health practice, a small portion (2%) focused on feelings of humiliation, lack of safety, and embarrassment. 18 According to another review , key features of successful simulation education are those of successful curricula in general: individualized feedback, cognitive interactivity, deliberate practice, and longer duration of the curricula. To maximize learner experience and prevent harm, simulation pedagogy should be considered when developing and conducting simulation and facilitators should be trained in best-practice guidelines.  

Best-Practice Guidelines

As simulation use and research has grown, the need for evidence-based best practice guidelines has emerged. There are several organizations that provide guidelines as well as profession-specific and modality specific standards. Generally, the standards include expectations around simulation design, pre-briefing, facilitation, debriefing and evaluation of simulation experiences, as well as operational and professional development standards. It is recommended that anyone participating in the design and facilitation of simulation activities be familiar with, and trained in, best practices. Below are a few organizations.

• International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) has released the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice .
• Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) is an accreditation body for simulation programs.
• American College of Surgeons sets standards for simulation-based surgical education and training. They are also an accrediting body for simulation centers.
• Association of Standardized Patient Educators focuses specifically on simulations involving standardized patients.
• The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) publishes Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice , including competencies regarding interprofessional simulations.
• The Committee on Accreditation of Education Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) has released simulation guidelines and recommendations for EMS education.

Current Context

In 2015, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) released their national simulation study, demonstrating that high-quality simulations could be used to successfully replace up to 50% of traditional nursing clinical hours. 20 Currently, implementation varies by State, but several allow for 25-50% of nursing clinical hours to be replaced by simulation. The American Association of Colleges of Nurses recently published updated “Essentials”, a framework for the preparation of baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral nurses that focuses on competency-based education. The new essentials document encourages simulation as a valid and reliable element of nursing education that supplements and even enhances certain aspects of direct patient care. 21  

In medical education, all graduating medical students are required to complete a simulated patient encounter to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires that residency programs provide simulation training, although the specific requirements vary between specialties. The American Board of Anesthesiology requires practicing anesthesiologists to complete a simulation course in order to maintain board certification, but this requirement is not present for other specialties. A WebM&M commentary discusses emerging approaches to simulation, including virtual reality and other technological advancements, as well as the potential for using simulation to assess and remediate individual clinician performance issues .

Jennifer J. Edwards, MS, RN, CHSE Director of Clinical Simulation and Assistant Clinical Professor Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing UC Davis Health

Amy Nichols, EdD, CNS, CHSE, ANEF Associate Editor, PSNet Associate Dean for Academics and Clinical Professor Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing UC Davis Health

Deb Bakerjian PhD, APRN, FAANP, FGSA, FAAN Co-Editor-in-Chief, PSNet Interim Associate Dean for Practice and Clinical Professor Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing UC Davis Health

• Aebersold M. The history of simulation and its impact on the future. AACN Adv Crit Care . 2016;27(1):56-61. [ Free full text ]
• Sheen JJ, Goffman D. Emerging role of drills and simulations in patient safety. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am . 2019;46(2):305-315. [ Available at]
• Kyaw BM, Saxena N, Posadzki P, et al. Virtual reality for health professions education: systematic review and meta-analysis by the digital health education collaboration. J Med Internet Res . 2019;21(1):e12959. [ Free full text ]
• Chen FQ, Leng YF, Ge JF, et al. Effectiveness of virtual reality in nursing education: meta-analysis. J Med Internet Res . 2020;22(9):e18290. [ Free full text ]
• Pottle J. Virtual reality and the transformation of medical education.  Future Healthc J. 2019;6(3):181. [ Free full text ]
• Molloy MA, Holt J, Charnetski M, et al. Healthcare simulation standards of best practice TM simulation glossary. Clin Simul Nurs . 2021;58:57-65. [ Free full text ]
• McMahon E, Jimenez FA, Lawrence K, et al. Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice TM evaluation of learning and performance. Clin Simul Nurs . 2021;58:54-56. [ Free full text ]
• Bradford HM, Farley CL, Escobar M, et al. Rapid curricular innovations during COVID‐19 clinical suspension: maintaining student engagement with simulation experiences. J Midwifery Womens Health . 2021;66(3):366-71. [ Available at ]
• Winkler-Schwartz A, Bissonnette V, Mirchi N, et al. Artificial intelligence in medical education: best practices using machine learning to assess surgical expertise in virtual reality simulation. J Surg Educ . 2019;76(6):1681-90. [ Available at ]
• Gilani S, Pankhania K, Aruketty M, et al. Twelve tips to organise a mock OSCE. Med Teach . 2022;44(1):26-31. [ Free full text ]
• Kristina SA, Wijoyo Y. Assessment of pharmacy students' clinical skills using objective structured clinical examination (OSCE): a literature review. Sys Rev in Pharm . 2019;10(1):55-60. [ Free full text  (PDF)]
• Essex R, Weldon SM, Markowski M, et al. A systematic mapping literature review of ethics in healthcare simulation and its methodological feasibility. Clin Simul Nurs . 2022;73:(48-58). [ Free full text ]
• Johnston S, Coyer FM, Nash R. Kirkpatrick's evaluation of simulation and debriefing in health care education: a systematic review. J Nurs Educ . 2018;57(7):393-8. [ Available at ]
• Kim J, Park JH, Shin S. Effectiveness of simulation-based nursing education depending on fidelity: a meta-analysis. BMC Med Educ. 2016;16:152. [ Free full text ]
• Sawyer T, Eppich W, Brett-Fleegler M, et al. More than one way to debrief: a critical review of healthcare simulation debriefing methods. Simul Healthc . 2016;11(3):209-217. [ Free full text]
• Lamé, G, & Dixon-Woods M. Using clinical simulation to study how to improve quality and safety in healthcare.  BMJ Simul Technol Enhanc Learn . 2020;6(2):87-94. [ Free full text ]
• Auerbach M, Stone K, Patterson M. The Role of Simulation in Improving Patient Safety. In: Grant, V., Cheng, A. (eds) Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Pediatrics. Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation. Springer, Cham. 2016. [ Available at]
• Bearman M, Greenhill J, Nestel D. The power of simulation: a large‐scale narrative analysis of learners’ experiences. Med Educ . 2019;53(4):369-379. [ Free full text ]
• Bracq M S, Michinov E, Jannin, P. Virtual reality simulation in nontechnical skills training for healthcare professionals: a systematic review.  Simul Healthc . 2019;14(3):188-194. [ Free full text ]
• Hayden JK, Smiley RA, Alexander M, et al. The NCSBN national simulation study: a longitudinal, randomized, controlled study replacing clinical hours with simulation in prelicensure nursing education. J. Nurs. Regul . 2014;5(2 Supplement):S3-S40. [ Available at ]
• Giddens J, Douglas JP, Conroy S. The Revised AACN Essentials: implications for nursing regulation. J. Nurs. Regul . 2022;6(4):16-22. [ Available at ]

This project was funded under contract number 75Q80119C00004 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The authors are solely responsible for this report’s contents, findings, and conclusions, which do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Readers should not interpret any statement in this report as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. None of the authors has any affiliation or financial involvement that conflicts with the material presented in this report. View AHRQ Disclaimers

Patient Safety Primers

Debriefing for Clinical Learning

Coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) and safety of older adults residing in nursing homes, personal health literacy, long-term care and patient safety.

WebM&M Cases

Post-Acute Transitional Services: Safety in Home-Based Care Programs

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Nursing and Patient Safety

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Standardizing patient safety event reporting between care delivered or purchased by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). April 10, 2024

Patient safety after implementation of a coproduced family centered communication programme: multicenter before and after intervention study. December 19, 2018

Complexity and challenges of the clinical diagnosis and management of Long COVID. November 30, 2022

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Reasons provided by prescribers when overriding drug–drug interaction alerts. November 28, 2007

Medical team training: applying crew resource management in the Veterans Health Administration. May 30, 2007

Pharmacist workload and pharmacy characteristics associated with the dispensing of potentially clinically important drug-drug interactions. May 9, 2007

Readiness of US general surgery residents for independent practice. October 4, 2017

Changes in medical errors after implementation of a handoff program. November 12, 2014

Association of patient and family reports of hospital safety climate with language proficiency in the US. June 29, 2022

I-PASS Mentored Implementation Handoff Curriculum: implementation guide and resources. March 10, 2019

I-PASS mentored implementation handoff curriculum: champion training materials. March 13, 2019

Comparison of military and civilian methods for determining potentially preventable deaths: a systematic review. May 23, 2018

Assessing the potential adoption and usefulness of concurrent, action-oriented, electronic adverse drug event triggers designed for the outpatient setting. June 24, 2015

Physician and nurse well-being and preferred interventions to address burnout in hospital practice: factors associated with turnover, outcomes, and patient safety. July 19, 2023

Contamination of health care personnel during removal of personal protective equipment. October 28, 2015

How safe are paediatric emergency departments? A national prospective cohort study. August 3, 2022

Deprescribing for community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. September 16, 2020

New persistent opioid use after minor and major surgical procedures in US adults. April 26, 2017

Nature of blame in patient safety incident reports: mixed methods analysis of a national database. September 27, 2017

Improving patient care through leadership engagement with frontline staff: a Department of Veterans Affairs case study. July 31, 2013

Development, implementation, and dissemination of the I-PASS Handoff Curriculum: a multisite educational intervention to improve patient handoffs. June 25, 2014

Associations between stopping prescriptions for opioids, length of opioid treatment, and overdose or suicide deaths in US veterans: observational evaluation. April 1, 2020

Association between long-term opioid use in family members and persistent opioid use after surgery among adolescents and young adults. March 13, 2019

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Racism in pain medicine: we can and should do more. July 14, 2021

Perspective

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Perspectives on Safety

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Assessing reasons for decreased primary care access for individuals on prescribed opioids: an audit study. February 10, 2021

A system-wide hospital child maltreatment patient safety program. September 8, 2021

Redesigning rounds in the ICU: standardizing key elements improves interdisciplinary communication. October 3, 2018

Applying the high reliability health care maturity model to assess hospital performance: a VA case study. August 31, 2016

Factors associated with reported preventable adverse drug events: a retrospective, case-control study. June 6, 2012

Medication complexity, medication number, and their relationships to medication discrepancies. July 27, 2016

Cultural transformation after implementation of crew resource management: is it really possible? July 27, 2016

Partnering with VA stakeholders to develop a comprehensive patient safety data display: lessons learned from the field. February 11, 2015

Reducing inappropriate polypharmacy: the process of deprescribing. April 1, 2015

Nurses as antimicrobial stewards: recognition, confidence, and organizational factors across nine hospitals. February 12, 2020

Evaluating the implementation of Project Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) in five Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals. October 17, 2018

How hospitals select their patient safety priorities: an exploratory study of four Veterans Health Administration hospitals. September 25, 2019

Communication failure in the operating room. November 3, 2010

Surgical team training: the Northwestern Memorial Hospital experience. February 25, 2009

Abdominal pain in the emergency department: missed diagnoses. November 24, 2021

Healthcare team resilience during COVID-19: a qualitative study. May 1, 2024

Effects of the 2011 duty hour reforms on interns and their patients: a prospective longitudinal cohort study. April 3, 2013

Autopsy as a quality control measure for radiology, and vice versa. November 7, 2012

Code debriefing from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Team Training Program improves the cardiopulmonary resuscitation code process. September 1, 2010

Learning from error: identifying contributory causes of medication errors in an Australian hospital. March 19, 2008

COVID-19 and Dentistry: Challenges and Opportunities for Providing Safe Care

The impact of health care strikes on patient mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. November 30, 2022

Use of simulation to measure the effects of just-in-time information to prevent nursing medication errors: a randomized controlled study. January 27, 2021

Using radiofrequency technology to prevent retained sponges and improve patient outcomes. October 28, 2020

Implementing a standardized safe surgery program reduces serious reportable events. February 4, 2015

The Medication Manager: results of a medication at the bedside pilot in a pediatric teaching institution. June 23, 2010

Medication reconciliation in acute care: ensuring an accurate drug regimen on admission and discharge. July 13, 2005

Are physician assistants able to correctly identify prescribing errors? A cross-sectional study. September 20, 2023

Incidence and trends of sepsis in US hospitals using clinical vs claims data, 2009--2014. September 27, 2017

A toolkit to disseminate best practices in inpatient medication reconciliation: Multi-Center Medication Reconciliation Quality Improvement Study (MARQUIS). July 31, 2013

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Effect of a rapid response team on the incidence of in-hospital mortality. September 7, 2022

"The patient is awake and we need to stay calm": reconsidering indirect communication in the face of medical error and professionalism lapses. June 5, 2024

Inpatient Transitions of Care: Challenges and Safety Practices

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In-situ simulations to detect patient safety threats during in-hospital cardiac arrest. September 13, 2023

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Strategies to Improve Organizational Health Literacy.

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High-fidelity simulation’s impact on clinical reasoning and patient safety: a scoping review. March 29, 2023

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Telehealth and Patient Safety.

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What are the Types of Simulation in Nursing Education? (PLUS, Pros VS. Cons, & Tips to Make the Most of it)

If you are in nursing school or preparing to go to nursing school, you have probably heard about simulation in nursing education. I love nursing and nursing education, and one of the things I enjoyed most as a nursing student were the opportunities to learn through simulation exercises and experiences. If you are new to nursing, you may not know much about nursing simulations. You may wonder, “What are the types of simulation in nursing education?” In this article, we will dive deep into the various types of nursing simulations, their pros and cons, and frequently asked questions. When you finish this article, you will have a clear understanding of what to expect in simulations.

What Exactly is The Purpose of Simulation in Nursing Education?

3 main pros of simulation in nursing education, pro #1: you will have the opportunity to try out your nursing skills in a risk-free setting., pro #2: you will get the chance to put your critical thinking skills to the test., pro #3: you will have the opportunity to collaborate and communicate with your fellow nursing students., 3 main cons of simulation in nursing education, con #1: nursing simulations can be very stressful, con #2: sometimes, feedback can be difficult to hear, especially if you need to improve the skill., con #3: you will be put on the spot and required to think critically during simulations., what are the types of simulations used in nursing education, type of simulation #1: instructor-led scenarios., about the simulation:, how it helps students:, type of simulation #2: group scenarios, type of simulation #3: simple mannequins, type of simulation #4: case studies, type of simulation #5: role-playing, type of simulation #6: video simulations, type of simulation #7: computer-controlled mannequins, type of simulation #8: virtual reality (vr), type of simulation #9: the difficult patient simulation., type of simulation #10: basic skills simulations, 7 tips for nursing students to make the most of their simulation training, tip #1: mentally practice ahead of time., tip #2: take a few deep breaths before you begin., tip #3: learn to take feedback with a positive attitude., tip #4: break down the scenario into steps., tip #5: don’t let mistakes make you feel frustrated., tip #6: study with a partner or a group ahead of time., tip #7: ask for help, my final thoughts, frequently asked questions answered by our expert, 1. are simulations in nursing education realistic, 2. what type of simulation is most commonly used in nursing education, 3. what is virtual simulation in nursing education and how does it differ from physical simulations, 4. how do nursing students measure the effectiveness of simulations, 5. what is a debriefing session in a simulation, 6. how often do nursing students participate in simulations, 7. can nursing students tailor simulation experiences to align with their goals, list of sources used for this article.

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The Role of Simulation in Nursing Education

Simulation in nursing education has become an increasingly valuable teaching tool. Not only do simulations allow students to problem-solve and apply clinical knowledge in a safe, low-stress environment, but simulated learning modules also allow students to practice what they’ve learned without needing to worry about making mistakes that could harm patients.

From virtual and online environments to hands-on learning with full-body, computer-controlled mannequins, opportunities for simulation-based training are as vast as they are beneficial.

Professionals interested in learning about how to teach the next generation of nurses in virtual and simulated environments should start by developing the knowledge needed to become a nurse educator. An advanced nursing degree with a concentration in nurse education can prepare graduates with the necessary skills to shape the future of nursing.

What Is Simulation in Nursing Education ?

Simulations provide students with learning opportunities that extend beyond traditional classroom instruction. For example, unlike hands-on learning in a clinical environment, where nursing students may only encounter patients with a limited number of medical issues, virtual simulations are designed to mimic a wide variety of simple and complex clinical situations.

In addition to increasing variabilities in training, virtual learning environments ensure that real patients aren’t exposed to unnecessary risks.

Common Types of Nurse Simulation Training

Today’s nursing students are frequently exposed to a wide array of scenarios in nurse simulation training. The most common types of nurse educator tools include the following:

High-Fidelity Mannequins

High-fidelity mannequins are full-body lifelike mannequins designed to physiologically respond as if they were real-life patients. They have heart sounds and pulses and can mimic other bodily functions. These mannequins can help students provide intravenous infusions and detect changes in patients’ conditions.

Low-Fidelity Mannequins

Unlike high-fidelity mannequins that appear quite lifelike, low-fidelity mannequins are less realistic and are used to help students practice basic skills. For example, CPR certification courses use Resusci Anne, a silicone mannequin that consists of a head and torso, to teach students how to open patients’ airways and perform chest compressions. 

Partial-Task Simulators

Partial-task simulators are lifelike models of specific parts of anatomy such as the arm, leg or torso, designed to help students gain proficiency in a specific skill. Partial-task simulators can teach students how to draw blood, insert an IV tube or a hep-lock and perform the Heimlich maneuver, among other crucial tasks.

Role-Playing

In role-playing simulations, students take turns assuming the role of a patient or a health care provider. This type of experiential learning allows students to act out various scenarios and use their critical thinking skills. It also requires students to closely examine complex and in some cases controversial medical scenarios and apply their knowledge to solve specific problems. 

E-learning modules allow students to participate in computer simulations from anywhere they have access to an internet connection. These simulations can teach students how to use specific pieces of medical equipment or provide virtual patient care simulations designed to help students improve their competency. 

Volunteer Patients

In this type of simulation, patients volunteer to help students practice various skills, such as asking for informed consent, asking for a patient to provide their medical history and explaining what patients can expect during a particular procedure. Volunteer patients are also used to help nursing students refine nursing soft skills .

Benefits of Simulation in Nursing Education

A 2021 study in Acta Informatica Medica found that nursing students who participated in simulation in nursing education to practice their decision-making and clinical skills in a protected environment had an enhanced sense of security, which in turn, improved their confidence and self-esteem. The study also found that the further development of simulation-based learning tools can “significantly help the efforts made by students to become integrated and successful healthcare professionals.”

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing agrees that simulation training for nursing students is highly beneficial. Examples of some of the benefits of simulation in nurse education include the following:

• They help students develop clinical reasoning capabilities.
• Simulations train students to become adept in providing care to patients and their families.
• Students are provided with immediate feedback and an opportunity to try again if needed.
• Virtual and mannequin-based simulations can be manipulated to mimic complex medical situations.
• Unlike traditional, classroom-based study, simulations provide students with experiential learning opportunities.
• Simulations allow learners to practice their skills in a safe, controlled environment in which they can make and learn from mistakes, without needing to worry about affecting patient outcomes.
• Learning modules are designed to become harder as curriculum topics become more complex.

Earn Your MSN to Teach the Next Generation of Nurses

Professionals interested in pursuing their passion for educating future nurses must begin with a comprehensive understanding of how to develop lesson plans that encourage professional development. The online Master of Science in Nursing with a Nurse Educator concentration from Walsh University is designed to prepare graduates to teach in a variety of in-person and virtual settings. 

Are you ready to take the next step toward becoming a nurse educator? Discover how the online Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Educator program at Walsh University can provide you with the teaching strategies to succeed. 

Recommended Readings

Why Get a Master’s in Nursing Education? Why Nurse Educators Are Needed to Address the Nursing Shortage What Tools Do Nurse Educators Use? Sources:

• Acta Informatica Medica, “Simulation in Clinical Nursing Education”
• Healthy Simulation, Nursing Simulation | About & Resources
• Healthy Simulation, Role-Play: A Healthcare Simulation Strategy for Teaching Problem-Solving, Communication, and
• Self-Awareness
• Healthy Simulation, Simulation in Nursing Education
• NCSBN, Simulation Study

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How Nursing Simulation Labs are Transforming Healthcare Education

The future of healthcare education bridges the gap between theory and practice.

Step inside a clinical healthcare setting where you’ll witness nurses donning scrubs and confidently attending to patients, making critical decisions, and saving lives. But here’s the twist – these are not seasoned nurses; they are tomorrow’s healthcare heroes, learning and honing their skills in the immersive world of nursing simulation labs. Welcome to the future of healthcare education, where the boundaries between theory and practice blur, and transformative learning experiences redefine the landscape of nursing.

Nursing simulation labs have emerged as a game-changing force in the realm of healthcare education. Gone are the days of passive learning, where students only absorbed theories and textbook knowledge. The introduction of high-fidelity manikins, sophisticated computer simulations, and realistic clinical scenarios has propelled nursing education into an era of active, experiential learning. In these state-of-the-art labs, students can apply their knowledge, make decisions, and experience the pressures of real-world healthcare, all within the safety of a controlled environment.

Nursing education has always faced the challenge of bridging the gap between theory and practice. Aspiring nurses spend countless hours absorbing information in classrooms, but when they enter clinical settings, the complexity of real patients and dynamic healthcare environments can be overwhelming. This discrepancy has resulted in a steep learning curve for many students, leading to potential mistakes and a lack of confidence. Nursing simulation labs offer the perfect solution to this age-old dilemma. By providing a seamless integration of theory and practice, students can experience clinical scenarios without real-world consequences. They can fine-tune their critical thinking, communication, and technical skills and gain confidence in their ability to handle even the most challenging patient situations. As a result, when these students finally step into clinical placements, they are better prepared, more competent, and ready to make a positive impact from day one.

What is a Nursing Simulation Lab?

A nursing simulation lab can be defined as a controlled environment specifically designed to replicate real-world patient care scenarios. It serves as a safe space for nursing students to practice and develop their clinical skills and knowledge through hands-on experiences. By engaging in simulated patient care scenarios, nursing students can apply their knowledge, develop clinical reasoning skills, and refine their technical abilities. Through repetitive practice and debriefing sessions, students can identify areas for improvement, enhance their competence, and build confidence before transitioning to real clinical settings.

Nursing simulation labs are equipped with a range of sophisticated simulators, equipment, and technologies that contribute to creating immersive and lifelike patient interactions. High-fidelity manikins, which closely resemble human anatomy and physiology, are capable of simulating various physiological responses and symptoms. These simulators can replicate vital signs, exhibit realistic breathing patterns, and even simulate emergencies such as cardiac arrest. Additionally, simulation labs may also include task trainers for practicing specific skills like IV insertion, wound care, or medication administration. The integration of computer programs and virtual reality technologies further enhances the realism and complexity of the scenarios, providing a dynamic learning environment for students.

Simulation lab instructors play a crucial role in guiding and facilitating learning experiences within the simulated environment. Instructors may design and develop realistic scenarios, establish learning objectives, and provide pre-briefings to set the stage for the simulation. During the simulation, instructors may act as facilitators, observing and evaluating students’ performance, providing real-time feedback, and adjusting the scenario as needed. Following the simulation, instructors engage students in debriefing sessions, encouraging reflection, identifying areas of improvement, and facilitating discussions to enhance learning outcomes.

The Evolution of Nursing Simulation Labs

The evolution of nursing simulation labs can be traced back to the early 20th century when basic, low-fidelity mannequins were used for training purposes. These mannequins had limited functionality and were primarily used for demonstrating basic skills. Over time, advancements in technology and medical education led to the development of more sophisticated simulators. In the 1960s, the first high-fidelity simulators were introduced, capable of replicating various physiological responses and allowing students to practice more complex clinical scenarios. Today, nursing simulation labs incorporate cutting-edge technologies, such as virtual reality and computer simulations, enabling highly realistic and immersive training experiences.

Limitations of Traditional Clinical Training Traditional clinical training in healthcare settings has several inherent limitations that have driven the need for alternative learning environments like nursing simulation labs. One significant challenge is limited access to diverse patient cases. Students may not encounter a wide range of medical conditions and scenarios during their clinical rotations, limiting their exposure and learning opportunities. Time constraints in busy clinical settings can also restrict students’ ability to actively participate in patient care and practice essential skills. Moreover, patient safety concerns are paramount in healthcare, making it difficult to provide students with hands-on experiences that involve high-stakes procedures or critical situations. Traditional training methods often rely on real patients, creating ethical and safety concerns, especially when students are still learning and honing their skills.

Objectives and Goals of Nursing Simulation Labs Nursing simulation labs have clear objectives and goals that guide their implementation in healthcare education. Here are the top goals achieved by incorporating simulation labs:

Improve clinical skills: Simulation labs aim to improve patient safety by allowing students to develop and refine their clinical skills before interacting with real patients. Simulated scenarios provide a safe space for students to make mistakes, learn from them, and enhance their competence without putting patients at risk.

Enhance critical thinking: Simulation labs challenge students to analyze complex situations, make decisions under pressure, and manage unexpected events. Through repeated exposure to realistic scenarios, students develop the ability to think critically, prioritize care, and make informed clinical judgments.

Promote interprofessional collaboration : Healthcare is a team effort, and effective communication and teamwork are essential for delivering safe and coordinated patient care. Simulated scenarios provide an opportunity for students from different disciplines to collaborate, communicate, and practice interprofessional skills in a realistic healthcare environment.

Foster empathy and professionalism: By engaging in simulated patient interactions, students develop their ability to empathize, communicate compassionately, and uphold professional standards. These labs create an environment where students can reflect on their actions, attitudes, and values, ultimately shaping them into caring and competent healthcare professionals.

Benefits of Nursing Simulation Labs

Nursing simulation labs offer a multitude of benefits to both nursing students and the healthcare industry as a whole, including developing professionals, fostering interprofessional collaboration, and improving patient outcomes. Additionally, nursing simulation labs enhance students’ confidence, competence, and professionalism, instilling in them the necessary attributes to provide safe and compassionate care. Ultimately, the immersive and experiential learning experiences offered by simulation labs contribute to the overall improvement of nursing education and the delivery of high-quality healthcare.

Enhanced Learning Experiences

Nursing simulation labs excel at providing students with realistic patient scenarios that closely resemble actual clinical encounters. By simulating a wide range of medical conditions, from routine care to critical emergencies, these labs allow students to apply their knowledge and practice their clinical skills in a controlled and supportive environment. Through the use of high-fidelity manikins, computer simulations, and standardized patient actors, students can interact with lifelike patient avatars who exhibit realistic symptoms, responses, and behaviors.

The immersive nature of these scenarios is a game-changer for nursing education. Students can assess patients, make clinical judgments, prioritize care, and perform interventions just as they would in real-life situations. They can practice administering medications, perform procedures, and practice communication and interpersonal skills with patients and their families.

Risk-Free Environment

The importance of nursing simulation labs lies in their ability to provide a safe space for students to make mistakes, learn from them, and develop proficiency without compromising patient safety. In traditional clinical settings, the fear of making errors can hinder students’ learning and confidence. However, simulation labs offer an environment where students are encouraged to experiment, take risks, and learn from their experiences.

When mistakes happen in simulation labs, they become valuable learning opportunities. Instructors and peers provide constructive feedback and debriefing sessions, encouraging students to reflect on their actions, thought processes, and decision-making. Through this process, students develop critical thinking skills as they analyze the consequences of their actions and explore alternative approaches.

Individualized Feedback and Assessment

Simulation labs offer instructors a unique opportunity to provide immediate feedback and personalized assessments to students. Simulation labs provide a standardized and objective means of assessing nursing students’ knowledge, skills, and competencies using various tools and methods, including video recordings, debriefing sessions, and structured evaluations.

This approach allows students to engage in deliberate practice, focusing on specific areas of improvement and refining their skills through repetition and feedback. The immediate and personalized nature of the assessments in simulation labs enables students to identify their strengths, address their weaknesses, and develop strategies for ongoing growth.

Promoting Teamwork and Communication

Simulation labs play a vital role in facilitating collaborative learning experiences by providing nursing students with opportunities to interact with other healthcare professionals, such as physicians, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists. These interprofessional scenarios reflect the realities of modern healthcare practice, where effective communication, teamwork, and coordination are crucial for delivering high-quality patient care.

In simulation labs, students from different healthcare disciplines come together to work as a team in managing complex patient scenarios. Each professional brings their unique knowledge, skills, and perspectives, which are essential for providing comprehensive and coordinated care. Through these interprofessional interactions, students learn to appreciate the value of teamwork and gain a deeper understanding of the roles and responsibilities of various healthcare providers.

Promoting Confidence and Professionalism

Simulation labs play a crucial role in promoting confidence and professionalism among students. By simulating real-life scenarios, students can practice their skills and build confidence in their abilities, which helps them develop a sense of professionalism and competence.

Simulation labs provide a safe space for students to make mistakes and learn from them. They promote and build emotional preparedness as patient interactions can evoke a range of emotions, and healthcare professionals must be able to manage these emotions while maintaining professionalism. In addition, labs enhance ethical and emotional competence. Nurses often face ethical dilemmas and emotionally challenging situations, and these labs provide a platform for professionals to explore and navigate these complexities in a safe environment.

Exposure to Rare and Critical Cases

Nursing students encounter a wide range of clinical situations throughout their careers. Simulation labs can simulate various scenarios, including common and rare cases, allowing students to gain exposure to a diverse range of clinical experiences. This exposure prepares them to handle different situations with confidence and competence.

By exposing nurses to rare case encounters in these simulated environments, nursing students gain exposure to the signs, symptoms, and appropriate interventions for uncommon medical conditions. These scenarios may involve medical emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, severe trauma, or sudden deterioration of a patient’s condition. By engaging in simulations of critical situations, students can practice rapid assessment, effective decision-making, and the application of life-saving interventions.

Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Simulation labs allow nursing educators to continuously refine and innovate educational practices. Feedback from students, faculty, and industry experts can be used to enhance the design of simulation scenarios, create new learning experiences, and incorporate emerging technologies. This ongoing improvement and innovation positively impact the quality of nursing education.

Simulation labs also support ongoing professional development for healthcare providers. By participating in simulations and debriefing sessions, professionals can reflect on their performance, identify areas for improvement, and engage in targeted learning experiences.

Innovative Technologies in Nursing Simulation Labs

These innovative technologies in nursing simulation labs enhance the learning experience by providing realistic patient scenarios, immersive virtual environments, and data-driven feedback. By incorporating innovative technologies, nursing education can better prepare students for real-world clinical practice.

High-fidelity simulators

High-fidelity simulators are advanced mannequins that closely resemble human physiology and provide an immersive learning experience for nursing students. These simulators can replicate physiological responses, including breathing, heartbeats, and bleeding, making the scenarios more realistic. Students can practice a wide range of clinical procedures and interventions, such as administering medications, inserting IV lines, and performing CPR. The simulators respond to the students’ actions, allowing for real-time feedback and adjustments.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)

VR technology allows students to enter a virtual environment where they can interact with lifelike avatars, medical equipment, and simulated patient scenarios. On the other hand, augmented reality (AR) overlays digital information onto the real-world setting, enhancing student engagement and learning. AR can provide additional information, such as anatomical structures, patient data, or procedural guidance, overlaid on the physical environment, allowing students to visualize and interact with relevant information in real time.

Advanced monitoring systems and data analytics

Nursing simulation labs can incorporate advanced monitoring systems to capture data on students’ performance and physiological responses during simulated scenarios. These monitoring systems can track vital signs, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and other relevant parameters, providing real-time feedback to both students and instructors. The data collected can be analyzed using data analytics techniques to assess students’ competency, identify trends, and generate insights to improve educational outcomes.

Implications for Future Healthcare Professionals

As nursing continues to evolve, simulation labs hold immense potential in shaping the future of nursing education, ensuring that students are equipped with the confidence, competence, and professionalism required to deliver high-quality healthcare. Here are a few key implications of this future:

Competence and confidence: Nursing simulation labs have a significant long-term impact on the competence and confidence of future healthcare professionals. By engaging in realistic patient scenarios and practicing various procedures and interventions, students develop a high level of competence in their clinical skills. They gain hands-on experience in a safe and controlled environment, allowing them to refine their abilities and build confidence in their capabilities. This competence and confidence translate into better performance and improved patient outcomes when students transition to real-world clinical practice.

Real-world readiness: Simulation labs play a crucial role in preparing students for real-world clinical settings. Students encounter diverse clinical challenges and develop the ability to apply their knowledge and skills in context. They learn to manage emergencies, make critical decisions, and communicate effectively with patients, families, and healthcare team members. This practical experience gained in simulation labs enhances their readiness to navigate the complexities of clinical practice, fostering a smooth transition from the educational environment to the professional realm.

Addressing healthcare disparities: In traditional clinical training, students may encounter variations in the types of patient cases they are exposed to due to factors such as location and clinical site availability. Simulation labs offer standardized and consistent learning experiences, ensuring that students receive comprehensive training across a wide range of scenarios. This helps reduce inequities in healthcare education and prepares students from diverse backgrounds to provide equitable care to patients.

Career advancement pathways: Nursing simulation labs also open up potential career advancement pathways for nurses. Simulation experiences can inspire nurses to pursue advanced degrees, such as Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), enabling them to take on specialized roles or become advanced practice nurses. Whether it’s pursuing leadership roles, advanced degrees, or specialization, nursing simulation labs play a vital role in providing the necessary foundation and practical experience for nurses to advance their careers.

Embark on the Exciting Journey Towards a Nursing Career

Nursing simulation labs provide enhanced learning experiences through realistic patient scenarios, enabling students to apply their knowledge and practice clinical skills in a controlled and supportive environment. Ongoing investments in simulation lab technologies are crucial for the future of healthcare education, ensuring access to innovative tools such as high-fidelity simulators, virtual reality, and data analytics. These investments empower educators to continuously improve the quality of education and prepare students for the evolving healthcare landscape. As we move forward, let us embrace the transformative power of simulation labs and continue to explore their possibilities in shaping the future of healthcare education.

Embark on the exciting journey towards a nursing career by delving into the immersive Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) Program  at  Eagle Gate College . Learn how to become a registered nurse and explore different types of hospital nursing jobs to get the full picture of nursing career opportunities. Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of nursing or you’re already an RN with an associate degree, our dynamic RN-to-BSN Program is designed to catapult your career to new heights.

While this blog may occasionally contain information that relates to Eagle Gate College's programs or courses, the majority of information provided within this blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to represent the specific details of any educational offerings or opinions of Eagle Gate College.

*Please note that wage data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) or other third-party sources may not be an accurate reflection of all areas of the country, may not account for the employees’ years of experience, and may not reflect the wages or outlook of entry-level employees, such as graduates of our program. (accessed on 4/5/2024)

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5 Ways Simulation in Nursing Education Is Used To Prepare Tomorrow’s Nurses

With emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, simulation in nursing education has played a critical role in students’ clinical education experiences since clinical placements in hospitals have been restricted or eliminated altogether.(1) However, even pre-pandemic, faculty and researchers recognized the value of simulation in nursing education to teach and evaluate nursing skills and competencies.

Why Is Simulation Important in Nursing Education?

Even before COVID-19, nursing schools struggled with increasingly fewer hospital clinical placements as other healthcare programs compete for sites for students’ educational needs as well (1). This combined with growing concerns about healthcare reform and the economic crisis has led to more value being placed on the importance of simulation in nursing education than ever before. (2) 

What’s the Role of Simulation in Nursing Education?

According to the NCSBN, the role of simulation in nursing education is both as a teaching strategy and an evaluation tool. (3) 

 Studies have shown nursing students report simulation experiences to be “good” and comparable to a “real situation” working with patients. As an evaluative tool, faculty are able to watch students use nursing and critical thinking skills and then provide students with feedback in debriefing sessions that students find helpful for improving. (4)

“You don’t understand anything until you learn it more than one way. ”

— MARVIN MINSKY

What Are Some Ways Simulation Can Be Used in Nursing Education?

Virtual simulation experiences enable nursing instructors to provide students with almost any imaginable patient care scenario. In doing so, they are able to evaluate students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge safely and prioritize care.

 Current ways simulation is being used to teach nursing students include: 

1.  LEARNING ANATOMY

Some schools use virtual reality to teach human anatomy. This is done with virtual anatomy tables that allow students to examine various parts of the human anatomy by performing virtual dissections. (5)

2.  MASS CAUSALITY AND MULTI-PATIENT SITUATIONS

Research has shown that simulation can provide valuable experiences for senior nursing students in disaster response. Simulation of a mass casualty event can help students develop teamwork skills, clarify roles, manage various nursing responsibilities, and improve their ability to prioritize patient needs. (5)

3.  END-OF-LIFE CARE

Not all nursing students have the opportunity to provide end-of-life care to a patient when in school. However, research has shown that students are able to gain significant “knowledge, self-confidence, and perceived communication skills” by participating in an end-of-life simulation that requires them to provide nursing care for a patient and grieving family. (5)

4.  MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Nursing content in mental health can also be taught and evaluated using simulation involving standardized or simulated patients (trained actors). Studies have shown simulated mental health scenarios provide students with the opportunity to practice therapeutic communication and interviewing skills which helped increase student confidence and decrease anxiety before entering the clinical setting. (5)

5.  INTRA AND INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNICATION

Studies have also shown that virtual simulation using a variety of different platforms is effective in helping students: 

 ●      Learn how to communicate with physicians

●      Work collaboratively as an interprofessional education (IPE) team with pharmacy and medical students

●      Provide safe and effective ISBAR reports during clinical handoffs at the end of a shift (5) 

 Simulation in nursing education is an ideal tool for teaching and evaluating students with almost unlimited uses. With reduced access to hospital clinical placements and ongoing healthcare reform, nursing instructors find themselves relying on this technology and their creativity even more to prepare skilled nurses for the future.

At MedCognition, our goal is to provide frontline healthcare professionals with cutting-edge  augmented reality simulation  that is affordable, portable and realistic.  Contact us  to learn how your nursing program can benefit from this innovative simulation modality.

 References:

1. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/06/25/clinical-education-starts-resume-haltingly-many-health-care-fields

2. https://minoritynurse.com/preparing-tomorrows-nurses-today-the-role-of-simulation-nursing-in-the-21st-century/

3. https://ncsbn.org/Suling2.pdf  

4. https://advancesinsimulation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41077-017-0048-z   

5. https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No2-May-2018/Articles-Previous-Topics/Simulation-Based-Learning-Undergraduate-Education.html   

ABOUT THE WRITER

 Leona Werezak MN, BSN, RN is a freelance healthcare/medical content marketing writer and registered nurse. She has taught nursing students in BSN programs for 20 years.

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WGU Opens Clinical Simulation Center in Kansas City

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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas recently inaugurated Western Governors University’s (WGU) Clinical Learning and Simulation Center (commonly referred to as a nursing lab) in Kansas City, Missouri, by the Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH), to provide high-quality, clinical nursing education to students from Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa. The facility is part of WGU’s efforts to address the nursing shortage crisis in the United States by expanding access to education, helping students gain degrees that position them to serve their communities and advancing health equity by adding competent professionals to the community workforce.

“We are committed to expanding access to education and unleashing opportunities that not just enable individuals to reach their maximum potential but also nurture community in the long term,” said Mayor Lucas, as he joined local and state dignitaries to launch WGU’s new nursing lab. “To ensure progress that serves everyone, we need people and facilities. Today, I’d like to welcome WGU and thank them for opening this nursing lab facility that seeks to bridge workforce gaps in the community and expand opportunities for all.”

Mayor Quinton Lucas and WGU Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Courtney Hills McBeth open the new clinical learning and simulation center in Kansas City, Missouri.

The total cost of the Missouri lab, inclusive of construction and equipment, exceeded $5 million. WGU received a $2 million grant for the lab's construction, thanks to the generous support from Gov. Mike Parson and the Missouri General Assembly. This grant was administered in partnership with the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. WGU provided the remaining funds in alignment with plans to expand access to LSH’s innovative nursing programs nationwide.

“We commend Western Governors University for its efforts to support critical workforce needs while also expanding higher education opportunities,” said Gov. Parson. “Nurses are vital to improving health outcomes in our state and region, and WGU’s innovative educational options will help more individuals who wish to fill crucial roles in the future of our state.”

The nearly 18,000-square-foot state-of-the-art lab aims to train and educate more than 500 new nurses in the region by 2026, and up to 3,000 per year in the long term. The facility features advanced high-fidelity medical education simulation equipment across five simulation rooms and two skills labs with 17 patient beds, four patient exam rooms, five student-focused debriefing rooms and a large multipurpose room for training and teaching.

Global consulting firm,  McKinsey & Company , estimates that the U.S. could have a shortfall of direct patient care nurses ranging from 200,000 to 450,000 by 2025. The  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  echoes similar projections and reports that employment opportunities for nurses will grow at 9%, faster than all other occupations from 2016 through 2026.

“This new nursing lab reflects WGU’s commitment to expanding access and preparing nurses who serve on the front lines of healthcare, those who are needed both now, and in the future,” said Dr. Courtney Hills McBeth, WGU’s chief academic officer and provost. “This facility would not have been possible without the support of so many people. I’d like to congratulate my WGU colleagues and offer deepest thanks to Gov. Mike Parson, the Missouri General Assembly, the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, Missouri Partnership, Kansas City Area Development Council, Platte County Economic Development Council and all our Missouri and local Kansas City partners.”

Missouri Hospital Association  data shows more than 10,000 nursing students were enrolled in Missouri prelicensure programs in 2020; however, nearly 1,300 qualified applicants were turned away. The situation, though, is not limited to a single state. The  American Association of Colleges of Nursing  (AACN) reports that more than 65,000 qualified applications (not applicants) were turned away from schools of nursing nationwide in 2023. While AACN mentions that the students submitting these applications may have been accepted and enrolled elsewhere, the report emphasizes that a variety of reasons stall nurse education, including the lack of infrastructure and faculty. WGU’s clinical sites are designed to add capacity and offer flexible, affordable options for nursing students, in and around their communities.

Clinical training forms an important component of nurse education, and with WGU’s rapid expansion of the  Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Prelicensure)  program to add new competent nurses to the workforce, the university is establishing these regional nursing centers to promote the attainment of education within and around communities for a potential increase in local and regional employment. The program is presently available in 24 states and counting. With this program, the university aims to add more than 3,000 newly qualified nursing graduates to the workforce by the end of 2027.

“Our BSN Prelicensure program is removing barriers and enhancing access to high-quality nursing education for a greater impact on society. With labs opening across the country, we are aimed at upskilling and reskilling the workforce while also addressing the massive infrastructural and faculty shortages in diverse communities,” said Kimberly Kelly-Cortez, LSH senior associate dean and director of undergraduate programs.

WGU’s Missouri nursing lab will enhance rural and urban health equity to benefit the health system of the regions served, while also boosting the state’s economy. In 2023, WGU received the  Platte County Business Excellence Award  for its efforts to positively impact the quality of life and the region’s job market with the establishment of the Missouri lab. The university launched its first nursing simulation lab in Houston, TX, followed by  Salt Lake City, UT , and then  Kansas City, Missouri , with additional facilities scheduled to open next year.

Presently enrolled in WGU’s BSN Prelicensure program, Kayla Stroup from Clever, Missouri, said, “I am excited to be able to attend my practical classes at the new nursing center in Missouri. I have been visiting the university’s out-of-state lab and that is a great place to learn, but having this location, right within my reach, is such great news. This will not only significantly reduce my travel time and cost, but also enhance the overall experience of learning in my home state.”

Established in 2006, LSH  represents  more than 170,000 jobs in the healthcare industry and the school produced a whopping 17 percent of the nation’s registered nurses earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2021. The school conferred 5.4 percent of all bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing across the country during the 2021-2022 academic year. With the mission to positively impact health education, the school presently serves nearly 25,000 students nationwide and has conferred over 118,000 degrees to more than 100,000 students across the country, thereby enhancing lives one student at a time.

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This paper is in the following e-collection/theme issue:

Published on 26.7.2024 in Vol 10 (2024)

Multidisciplinary Design–Based Multimodal Virtual Reality Simulation in Nursing Education: Mixed Methods Study

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Virtual reality simulation for nursing education: effectiveness and feasibility

Debra kiegaldie.

1 Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, 3128 Australia

Louise Shaw

2 Centre for Digital Transformation of Health, University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Vic 3010 Australia

Associated Data

The data that support the findings of this study will be available from the corresponding author, LS, upon reasonable request.

Virtual Reality simulation (VRS) is an innovative and emerging technology that has the potential to offer increased numbers of pre-registration students authentic learning experiences compared to traditional simulation- based education (SBE) with simulated participants. The aim was to evaluate learner outcomes of SBE compared to 4 fully immersive VRS scenarios, for vocational and higher education nursing students at a training and further education institute in Melbourne, Australia. A mixed methods quasi-experimental design study was conducted over two semesters from 2019 to 2020. Participants were 675 pre-registration nursing students. The intervention group (VRS n = 393) received 4 three-dimensional, immersive VRS modules. The control group (SBE n = 282) received 4 face-to-face large group immersive simulations. In the VRS group 95% of students actively participated, compared to SBE (on average 15%). Knowledge test scores were initially significantly greater ( p  < 0.01) for VRS versus SBE students, but not maintained post clinical placement. Intervention students found VRS to be realistic and prepared them for clinical practice. Some technical difficulties were identified with VRS. VRS was found to be more cost effective than SBE. VRS fostered critical thinking and provided an efficient and sustainable platform for learning about complex clinical situations.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-023-01639-5.

Introduction

Most health professional pre-registration courses now make use of simulation-based education (SBE) as an evidence-based educational method to practise clinical skills [ 1 – 3 ]. Clinical simulation environments are immersive and multisensory, promoting the development of psychomotor skills and executive functioning [ 1 ]. Simulation became particularly valuable as an education method for meeting the challenges posed by the need for virtual learning during the COVID 19 pandemic [ 4 ]. Traditional simulations are highly successful but currently not scalable due to increasing demand, student numbers and access limitations [ 5 ]. Few students can actively participate in an immersive simulation, with the majority being inactive observers [ 5 ]. The ability to provide increased opportunities for all students to be involved in authentic work-based learning experiences is essential for students to become effective and competent practitioners.

Virtual Reality (VR) technology is an innovative and emerging technology that is increasingly being used in health professions education. VR simulations allow for active learning experiences that are interactive, authentic, standardised, and safe [ 6 – 8 ]. Three-dimensional VR simulations where there is a perception of being physically present in the virtual world [ 9 , 10 ], are seen as being highly immersive [ 11 ]. Wearing VR glasses or head mounted displays, adds to the visceral feeling of being in the simulated world [ 10 ]. Once the VR scenarios have been created, they can be re-used multiple times for a variety of learners [ 6 ], and can be accessed by students anywhere at any time [ 7 ]. They allow students to experiment with different outcomes, practise the scenarios, and experience elevated risk events without compromising safety [ 7 ]. Limitations to VR include lack of immersion and realism [ 12 ]. VR scenarios can also be expensive to develop and time-intensive [ 6 , 7 , 13 ]. VR requires a fast and reliable internet service, computer skills, technology resources and appropriate training and orientation prior to commencement [ 7 ].

Whilst there is some evidence for the use of VR simulation (VRS) in student nursing education to increase students’ knowledge and positive perceptions of their learning experience [ 8 , 14 – 16 ], there is limited literature on the economic viability of VRS. Jasper VR was a fully immersive virtual reality education program, developed through a collaborative consortium, that immersed students’ senses (vision, hearing, and motion) in a 3D world for a range of common clinical scenarios. By using the VR headset and by means of gaze control, students were able to make decisions that in turn determined the future trajectory of each patient they interacted with.

The aim of this study was to evaluate learner outcomes of traditional SBE compared to a series of fully immersive VRS scenarios, for vocational and higher education nursing students at a training and further education institute in Melbourne, Australia.

Research questions:

• What was the impact of VRS compared to SBE on students’ knowledge of, confidence in, and motivation to learn about managing common clinical conditions?
• What are the reactions of students in relation to the usability, efficiency, and effectiveness of VRS?
• What is the impact of VRS compared to SBE on the number of nursing students with an immersive simulation learning experience?
• Is the use of Jasper VR a feasible and economically viable education method?

Materials and methods

Using a mixed methods quasi-experimental design, this study compared educational outcomes from traditional simulation using simulated participants with VRS. Ethical approval was obtained from Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee, Project ID: 19235. Written informed consent was obtained from the participants of the study.

Jasper VR was a uniquely developed VR-based education platform called VirtualU, that was developed through a collaborative consortium. Using 360-degree video and sound technology, the Jasper VR VirtualU software application captured the variations and potential outcomes of a range of common clinical scenarios using simulated participants. By using the VR headset and by means of gaze control, students were able to select pre-determined actions, that in turn determined the future trajectory of each patient they interacted with. Feedback on patient outcomes following choices made by the student, was provided via visualisation of the different pathways. Debriefing and discussion took place after each simulation.

Participants

A representative sample of consenting students enrolled in the Bachelor and Diploma of Nursing courses at a Training and Further Education Institute between July 2019 and June 2020, participated in the study. Consenting students consisted of 7 cohorts (Table  1 ). Students were pre-allocated to tutorial groups (n = 5–6), which were randomly assigned by an external organisation, to either the control or intervention groups. Students who did not consent to participate in the research remained in a non-intervention group and received standard teaching.

Protocol for between group comparisons on specific modules

Facilitators

For the duration of the research a core group of experienced facilitators (n = 3) were used for both the control and intervention groups. Facilitators received a 1-hour training session on how to debrief and were provided with a debriefing guide. Debriefing was based on the Promoting Excellence and Reflective Learning in Simulation (PEARLS) framework [ 17 ].

Simulation scenarios (VRS and traditional simulation)

Module 1: The verbally aggressive patient, Module 2: The deteriorating patient, Module 3: The patient with cognitive impairment, Module 4: Palliative and end of life care.

Interventions

Control group (traditional simulation).

students participated in standard teaching activities in the Diploma and Bachelor of Nursing, including lectures (large group), tutorials (small group), clinical skills laboratories, role-plays, and four face to face large group immersive simulation scenarios using simulated participants, in the Simulation Centre.

Intervention group (VRS)

students participated in the same standard teaching activities as the control group but received the four Jasper VR modules as an alternative to traditional face to face large group immersive simulation scenarios.

Implementation

Healthcare simulation standards of best practice were utilised for both the intervention and control scenarios [ 18 ]. Whilst, pre-briefing and debriefing was delivered separately to the control and intervention groups, the intervention and control groups received the same pre-briefing and debriefing according to the PEARLS framework [ 17 ].

Pre-briefing for each module

An experienced and trained facilitator provided an overview and briefing to control or intervention students on the module’s content, key learning points and its application to clinical practice.

Control or intervention students received a scheduled debriefing session for each module from one of the experienced facilitators. The debrief provided an opportunity for students to explore the content in more depth, discuss important clinical issues, ask questions, and clarify important concepts.

Delivery of VRS

Intervention students were provided with a Jasper VR handbook and VR headset. At the commencement of the first session students downloaded the required mobile software application, VirtualU, onto their mobile phone, using the education institute’s Wi-Fi. Students were provided technical assistance from the project managers for the duration of the research study.

Each VRS module had two options:

• Free roam : available within or external to classroom time, allowed students to navigate their way through the module scenarios, make decisions about clinical practice and reflect on critical issues that arose. They were able to repeatedly view the scenarios in preparation for clinical placement.
• Mastery videos : embedded into the program and included videos of clinical experts performing a range of skills to demonstrate exemplar performance of best practice. Students were able to identify key features of a good performance to help prepare them for clinical placement. In addition to offering students the opportunity to view the mastery videos in their own time, teachers could select to use this option in class to highlight aspects of high-quality performance.

Data collection

Multiple methods of data collection were used (Table  1 ).

The study was based on a pre and post-test design, elaborated through a mixed methods research approach. Data was collected via surveys at multiple time points.

Pre-test (Survey 1): Week 2–3 of semester prior to simulation week. Post-test 1 (Survey 2): Final week of semester. Post-test 2 (Survey 3): Post clinical placement. Students completed surveys either online or paper based. Pre-test surveys included quantitative measures of knowledge (multiple choice questions), a self-reported knowledge scale (7-point Likert scale from ‘not at all knowledgeable’ to ‘extremely knowledgeable’), a motivation to learn scale (7-point Likert scale from ‘not at all motivated’ to ‘extremely motivated’), and a self-efficacy in learning scale. The self-efficacy in learning scale consisted of a range of 10–13 items with students indicating their level of confidence to perform skills for dealing with patients for each of the modules on a 5-point Likert scale from ‘not at all confident’ to ‘extremely confident’. Questions were based on the learning objectives for the Bachelor and Diploma of Nursing curriculum in relation to each topic. The items were designed collaboratively between researchers and the faculty teaching teams. They were checked for authenticity and content validity through peer review. Post-test surveys repeated these measures and added views and ratings on the learning experience (simulation or virtual reality). The items for the views on the learning experience were based on McCausland et al’s (2004) survey evaluating student experiences of simulation in undergraduate nursing [ 19 ] and used a 5-point Likert-scale from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’. Post-test surveys for the VR intervention students also included the System Usability Scale (SUS). The SUS is a 10-item scale giving a global view of subjective assessments of usability using a 5-point Likert Scale [ 20 ]. The SUS has demonstrated robust psychometric properties and measured the overall usability of the VirtualU software application.

Focus group interviews

semi-structured interviews were conducted with intervention students that focused on the students’ views about their general learning experiences with Jasper VR , the lessons learnt and what could be improved.

Student clinical assessment

Students were asked to consent to using a de-identified course assessment of an Objective Structured Clinical Observation (OSCE), which they undertook at the conclusion of each semester, as a measure of the impact on clinical learning outcomes on actual performance related to specific clinical content of each module. These assessments were undertaken with simulated participants and assessments were directly aligned to the specific module content.

Economic evaluation

a cost benefit analysis was conducted to compare the cost and benefits of Jasper VR with traditional SBE. The cost of immersive, mannequin and simulated patient-based simulation was calculated per student and a comparison made.

Data analysis

Quantitative data.

Using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0), descriptive statistics identified demographic data. The chi-squared test was used to ensure that the demographics of the intervention and control groups were sufficiently equivalent. The remainder of the quantitative analysis used inferential statistics to test for systematic differences between outcomes for the control and intervention groups, and systematic differences within the intervention groups across the three time points (for 2019 groups). This was based on the application of several quantitative instruments. Statistical controls were performed using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA.

Qualitative data

Qualitative data from the open-ended questions in the surveys were transcribed verbatim. Quantitative data were analysed and reported thematically. Themes reflected intervention participants’ accounts of their learning experience with VRS and characterised perceptions that were relevant to the research questions [ 21 , 22 ]. One researcher developed descriptive codes of the responses to each of the open-ended questions on the surveys. A different researcher reviewed the initial descriptive codes, and the two researchers discussed and finalised the thematic framework for analysis. Data management and analysis were assisted by MS Excel.

Costs were calculated according to the cost of developing and delivering traditional SBE and comparing this to the cost of developing and delivering Jasper VR [ 23 , 24 ].

The overall cohort for the comparison study comprised 675 students, from the aggregation of seven distinct teaching cohorts (Cohorts 1 to 7). Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, the implementation of control groups and cross over groups was not able to be achieved and all students were allocated into intervention groups to receive the JasperVR learning experience. This was due to all simulations being cancelled in Semester 1, 2020. Furthermore, it was not possible to implement any Survey 3s and OSCEs in 2020 due to the overwhelming number of cancellations of clinical placements and clinical assessments for students. This resulted in 282 students in the traditional simulation control group and 393 in the VR intervention group. Table  2 describes the control and intervention groups resolved in terms of: Cohorts (1 to 7); course of study (BN or DN); Age Range (18–25 years and 26–50 + years); and Gender.

Demographics of the overall cohort. The Pearson Chi-Square test indicated no statistically significant difference between the Control and Intervention groups based on: contribution from the different teaching cohorts ( c 2  = 10.4, df  = 6, p  = 0.108), course of study ( c 2  = 3.22, df  = 1, p  = 0.073), student status ( c 2  = 0.042, df  = 1, p  = 0.837), distribution of the age ranges ( c 2  = 0.043, df  = 1, p  = 0.836), or gender ( c 2  = 2.91, df  = 1, p  = 0.088)

Simulation participation

Approximately 95% of students actively participated in the VR scenarios. Approximately 3–5% of students were not able to participate due to incompatible phones and therefore were transferred to the traditional simulation control group. Approximately 15% of students in the traditional simulation control group actively participated in the simulation scenarios with 85% observers, which is standard practice at the participating institute.

Knowledge test results

Pre-intervention there was nothing to suggest any systematic difference between the knowledge test results of the control group and of the intervention group. For the post-test (survey 2), 15 out of 17 t -tests returned positive results at the level of p  < 0.001, suggesting that the intervention group performed better than the control group in the knowledge test (Table  3 ).

Knowledge Test, Questions Q1 – Q10 responses pooled to give Total Score/10. Descriptive statistics (columns 4–7; N, Mean, StdDev and 95% Confidence Interval) for Control and Intervention Groups

In survey 3, there was no significant difference between the knowledge test results of the control group and of the intervention group. The results indicate that any difference in knowledge was not maintained post clinical placement.

Students’ self-perceived knowledge and motivation

The results show immediately post intervention, the intervention group’s ratings for self-perceived knowledge, motivation and preparedness for clinical placement were more positive than the control group at the p  < 0.01 level (Table  4 ). The differences between the control and interventions groups were not maintained post clinical placement.

Students’ self-perceived knowledge, motivation and preparedness for clinical placement or clinical practice. Descriptive statistics and Independent Samples t-test (All Cohorts. All Modules pooled. Surveys 2 and 3)

Self-efficacy in learning

Immediately post intervention, the intervention group’s self-efficacy in learning was more positive than the control group’s for modules 3 and 4 and the p  < 0.01 level. However, differences between the intervention and control groups were not maintained post clinical placement (Table  5 ).

Self-efficacy in learning, pooled responses to give Total Score/100, results resolved according to module number (1–4). Descriptive statistics (columns 4–7; N, Mean, StdDev and 95% Confidence Interval) for All Cohorts (i.e., both BN Cohorts and DN Cohorts), for Control and Intervention Groups. Independent Samples t-test comparing the mean values for the Control and Intervention groups. ** indicates significance at the p  < 0.01 level

Analysis of OSCE data

OSCE data was obtained for 478 students (control n = 177, intervention n = 301). The Pearson Chi-Square test (c 2  = 0.267, df = 2, p  = 0.875) indicated there was no statistically significant difference between the control and intervention groups.

For Modules 1 and 2 there was no significant difference between the Mean OSCE score (as a %) for the control and intervention groups. However, for Module 3 the Mean OSCE score for the intervention group was significantly greater than that for the control group, at the p  < 0.01 level. When all three Modules were pooled together, while the OSCE score was greater for the intervention group than for the control group, the difference was not significant at the p  < 0.05 level (Table  6 ).

Mean OSCE Score (as %, StdDev and 95% Confidence Interval) for all cases (n = 478), for Control and Intervention Groups

Views about the module (survey 2)

All t -tests comparing mean values for the control and intervention groups for views on the modules returned positive results at the level of p  < 0.01, with three of them at the level of p  < 0.001 (Table  7 ).

Views about the module, responses pooled to give Total Score/50, (cohorts 1–6 -no data cohort 7)

Qualitative analysis

Several common themes were identified across the 4 modules for intervention students’ responses on views about the learning experience with Jasper VR (Table  8 ). Students reported that they found the VRS scenarios realistic. They valued the ability to be able to practise the various scenarios multiple times to embed their learning and highlighted the importance of being able to make mistakes without fear of impacting care. The VRS scenarios were perceived to be less stressful and intimidating than the usual simulation environment. The value of developing critical thinking from the VRS scenarios was highlighted and the development of the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to manage similar situations.

Qualitative data for intervention students’ views on Jasper VR .

While student responses were mostly positive and enthusiastic about the VR scenarios, they did express some reservations. Occasionally the VR headsets were reported to be uncomfortable to wear. Whilst some students found the VRS scenarios less intimidating than a normal simulation, a small number of students described their desire to be more physically involved, rather than watching and choosing options. A small number of students also reflected that their clinical reasoning skills would have benefitted from there being more than one correct choice of response, learning diverse ways to manage situations, or having multiple scenarios for each module. Further detail on students’ views on what they enjoyed the most and least for each module are detailed in appendix 1 .

System usability scale

The mean scores of the pooled usability scale are very complimentary of the usability of the system, particularly its ‘ease of use’ (Q3) and its property of being ‘easy to learn quickly’ (Q7) (Table  9 ).

System Usability Scale responses. Descriptive statistics (N, mean value, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval) for the pooled cohort (N = 306, Cohorts 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 combined) responses

These findings were supported by the qualitative data in the surveys. Intervention students appreciated the ability to re-visit the VR scenarios as often as they liked and in their own time:

I really enjoyed being part of Jasper VR and I felt it was a really nice way to learn the situation… best thing was I can rewatch it as many times as I want. This was a great way to complete a simulation under the circumstances and a great way to continue this in the future as we have the luxury of completing it as many times as we will.

Intervention students also found the VRS scenarios less intimidating than traditional simulation and liked the ability to be able to make mistakes and see the consequences of those choices:

I really enjoy doing VR. I find it interesting and less stressful than doing a simulation with your whole class watching you and in front of actors/actresses. I also like how you can see what would happen if you chose the wrong choice in the situation and that you can do the VR as much as you want.

Occasionally students reported difficulties with the VR headsets:

I like the way that we could revisit the SIM whenever we wanted to, but I found controlling the SIM with the headwear hard to manage.

Feasibility and economic viability of Jasper VR compared to SBE

Table  10 depicts the cost of developing and delivering the VR and SBE for both the Bachelor and Diploma of Nursing groups. The total cost of delivering a single module of Jasper VR each year was $3,350. The cost of delivering a single SBE scenario (not necessarily the same) in nursing for both courses each year was $18,670.

The cost of delivering the VR and SBE for the Bachelor and Diploma of Nursing groups

Our study demonstrated that VRS provided authentic and positive learning experiences for nursing students. Participants indicated that they found the VR scenarios realistic, immersive, and aided in the development of their clinical reasoning. Authenticity in VR scenarios is important for preparation for the reality of clinical practice [ 25 ]. Our outcomes also support the view that VRS can be successfully employed to teach explicit behavioural skills such as teamwork, and decision-making [ 25 , 26 ]. The VR scenarios catered for greater student numbers when compared to traditional simulation. All VRS students were fully immersed in the scenarios and able to take an active learning role the decision-making process. Jasper VR was found to be a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to SBE.

Overall, this study found VRS to effective for improving student knowledge and performance, which is supported by other studies on the effects of VRS in nursing education [ 8 , 14 – 16 , 27 ]. Several factors can increase the cognitive load in VR scenarios compared to SBE. VR learners may initially need to process a large amount of sensory information due to a highly immersive experience, engagement of multiple senses simultaneously (for example, vision and hearing), mastery of controllers to interact with the virtual environment, and understanding and navigating 3D space. Our findings also reinforce the effectiveness of immersive VRS for improved cognitive load in nursing education, and that VRS is an effective teaching tool [ 9 , 26 ].

VRS students’ OSCE scores for module 3, the patient with cognitive impairment, were significantly greater than for traditional simulation at the end of semester, although this difference was not maintained post clinical placement. For this scenario, students were particularly complimentary about the communication and collaborative skills amongst the interprofessional team and being able to practise skills such as recording the handover and assessing the patient. Active learning methods have previously been found to facilitate the development of logical reasoning [ 28 ] and reflective thinking [ 29 ]. The opportunity to perform similar skills in future VR scenarios may contribute to their further success. The significant differences in knowledge test scores between the VRS and traditional simulation groups immediately post intervention were not maintained. VR scenarios have the advantage of being available for users to access at any time point with easy repetition of scenarios, [ 30 ], and therefore VR students in may need to be reminded to re-visit these to further consolidate their learning and achieve proficiency.

Students appreciated the opportunity the VR scenarios provided to develop clinical competencies in authentic clinical experiences and see new perspectives, whilst maintaining their own safety and that of their patients [ 9 ]. VR simulations can offer a high level of realism and immersion compared to traditional SBE, with the learning process accelerated as students can experience scenarios that closely mimic real-life situations. The use of VRS in nursing education has been found to influence positive learning outcomes, such as stimulating interactivity and motivation amongst participants [ 25 , 31 , 32 ]. Sim et al. (2022) found that VRS enhances delivery of content related to patient care management (Sim et al., 2022). VR students valued access to the mastery mode to learn strategies like de-escalation techniques for dealing with an aggressive patient. Enabling VR students to practise skills through repetition, may allow them to master the skills more efficiently and achieve proficiency, versus SBE which has limitations in terms of repetition. VRS has been found to be particularly useful in situations such as dealing with aggressive patients as it protects the health professional’s safety and allows them to take a ‘trial and error’ approach to learning how to respond in these situations [ 33 ].

Whilst a small number of students highlighted a lack of interaction in the scenarios and being unable to practise the clinical skills in person, others reported the value of a fully immersive environment, such as being able to assess the deteriorating patient and recording the handover. Simulating the management of an acutely deteriorating patient has previously been successfully implemented in a nursing curriculum, with participants finding the simulation to be realistic and prepared them for clinical practice [ 34 ]. VR students also appreciated the opportunity for easy repetition of scenarios, experiencing the consequences of making wrong decisions, and the value of this for their learning. Through the VRS, nursing students could develop greater self-awareness and modify their reactions to a situation [ 33 ]. The importance of VRS for learning non-clinical skills by being able to ‘get it wrong to get it right’ was also highlighted in a study of undergraduate nursing students [ 25 ]. VR students found participating in the scenarios less intimidating than a normal simulation and appreciated the psychological safety involved in the learning [ 32 ]. This feedback echoed the findings of other VR studies that reported students using VR were less anxious than control groups when performing in the real world [ 35 , 36 ]. Students also appreciated the ability to make mistakes in the virtual environment without fear of consequences [ 32 ].

Whilst the VR scenarios provided immediate feedback to the students and allowed them to correct their mistakes in real time, some students commented that there was only one correct option in the scenarios. They felt it would be more beneficial if the scenarios allowed a greater range of choices for patient management to more reflect the real world. Another study involving a VR scenario depicting unnecessary patient demand for antibiotics from a general practitioner, also found some scepticism amongst participants that VR technology could reflect the diversity and complexity of patient responses [ 33 ]. A system of learning for health professionals that involves menu-based actions, may mean that the student does not develop critical clinical reasoning skills [ 37 ]. VR simulations can be customised to meet the needs of learners and to meet specific learning objectives, which should be considered when developing further VR scenarios.

Participants in this study were generally positive about the usability of the VR technology, which echoes the findings of other immersive VRS nursing studies [ 11 , 38 ]. Usability in terms of ease of use and users’ level of satisfaction are important characteristics of learning using virtual reality [ 7 ].

When considering the economic viability of VRS, the cost effectiveness of VR versus SBE can vary depending on several factors, including initial investment, maintenance, scalability, and accessibility. A previous study found the cost-utility ratio of virtual simulation (US$1.08) to be lower compared to mannequin-based simulation (US$3.62) [ 39 ]. In this study, the VR required significant upfront costs for software, hardware and development and was therefore more costly to develop when compared to standard SBE. This concurs with the findings of Liaw et al. (2018) who found that funding was important for the development and evaluation of virtual worlds in nursing education, due to the high outlay costs during design and development phases [ 40 ]. The VR simulations may also require ongoing software updates and maintenance costs, whilst the SBE may require periodic equipment replacement. However, our economic evaluation found the long-term delivery costs of VR to be significantly reduced due to less on campus teaching time and more independent learning for students. As reported by Pottle (2019) the costs of simulation are difficult to define, vary widely between institutions and are frequently under-reported [ 41 ]. Therefore, further studies are required which evaluate the cost effectiveness of VR compared to SBE for nursing students [ 30 ]. Our study found VR simulations required more time initially for learners to become comfortable with the technology and to set up the VR equipment, when compared to SBE. However, the virtual simulations are more scalable, allowing a larger number of students to be served simultaneously and to be used in further studies. VR simulations can be accessed remotely, offering flexibility for students, and making them more convenient for students who may not have easy access to physical simulation labs. This can save time and eliminate the need for travel, compared to SBE which usually requires students to be physically present in a specific location. As a result of COVID-19 in 2020, all learning with Jasper VR moved to remote delivery. This resulted in an even further reduction in the hours associated with briefing and debriefing.

Limitations

This study focused on undergraduate students and therefore further research is required to explore its application across the healthcare professional continuum. Some students felt their clinical judgement would benefit from having additional options rather than only one correct way of doing things. In future research, students could be given the opportunity to be included in the development of scenarios to gain their perspectives. There should be repeated exposure to similar situations to gain confidence in appropriately responding in real life. Future work could focus on students’ comments related to limited opportunities for hands on work in the VR scenarios, reduced patient interactions, and how these findings translate in the clinical setting. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, the implementation of control groups and cross over groups was not able to be achieved and all students were allocated into intervention groups to receive the Jasper VR learning experience. This was due to all simulations being cancelled in Semester 1, 2020. Furthermore, it was not possible to implement any Survey 3s and clinical assessments in 2020 due to the overwhelming number of cancellations of clinical placements and clinical assessments for students. This resulted in many more students in the intervention group than the control group.

Conclusions

Through a collaborative content and software development process, a sophisticated, scalable, highly usable, and authentic learning experience was created for pre-licensure nursing students. Jasper VR enabled increased numbers of students to actively participate in an immersive simulated learning environment at their own pace, in their own time and venue. Jasper VR fostered critical thinking and decision making and provided an efficient, cost effective and sustainable platform of learning for future nursing students. The VR simulations offered advantages in terms of immersive, repeatable, and feedback-rich experiences. Jasper VR provided an efficient, cost effective and sustainable platform for learning for future nursing students.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge: Swinburne University as a major collaborative partner, Karen Hall and Ronen Vansover for Project management, CurveTomorrow for software development, Ruth Callandar for VR implementation, teams of supporting clinicians that assisted in script writing of all scenarios, Michael Esler for statistical analysis, teaching staff of the Diploma and Bachelor of Nursing, and participating students.

Author contribution

LS drafted the manuscript. DK and LS were actively involved in the study. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

This work was funded by a Victorian State Government Workforce Training Innovation Fund. The research was conducted independently from the funding body.

Data Availability

Declarations.

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and ethical approval was obtained from Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee, Project ID: 19235.

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Not applicable.

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Construction Underway for New, State of the Art Simulation Facilities.

Tuesday, 30 July, 2024

Having received funding from UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences (CHAS), the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems is delighted to announce that work is underway for development of a designated Simulation Suite and additional simulation facilities . This is a key project led by the School under our Simulation and Clinical Skills Strategy. 

The fully equipped suite, with an integrated AV system, will allow for quality simulation activities, elevating our student's learning through realistic patient scenarios and real-time problem solving. Having this exposure in addition to placement learning will further bridge the gap between knowledge and practical skills. In addition to this, the School is installing a multipurpose simulation cave and briefing room. Using bespoke projection and lighting capabilities, students will be able to instantly change the surrounding environment - from a therapy room, to a care home, to an emergency department – allowing them to immerse themselves in a safe, realistic learning environment. 

Simulation education involves a range of activities that improve the safety and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Given  the increased focus on improving quality care and patient safety, the sim suite will support the delivery of education and training to enhance curriculum and promote preparedness for clinical practice with a student centred simulation programme  ensuring all undergraduate and postgraduate learners get the most out of their time with us. 

Clinical Tutors Jennifer Sullivan and Michaela Schumann said of the project said of the project “We are very excited to see this project get off the ground. We feel confident that we speak for the entire nursing and midwifery team when we say the addition of a dedicated simulation suite will truly enhance the student journey .”

Building works and AV installation began in June and will be completed by 22nd August. Keep an eye on our Instagram ( (opens in a new window) @snmhs.official ) and X ( (opens in a new window) @ucdsnmhs ) channels for updates.

Contact the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems