Implementing computer simulations as a strategy for evaluating decision-making skills of nursing students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Professions Education
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Assessing clinical decision-making skills is crucial for baccalaureate nursing students.
• Traditional assessment methods may not fully capture complex clinical reasoning abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a computer assisted instruction (CAI) clinical simulation as a strategy for assessing baccalaureate nursing students' clinical decision-making skills.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a computer assisted instruction (CAI) clinical simulation as an evaluation tool.
• Gathered feedback from baccalaureate nursing students regarding their experience with the simulation.
• Collected feedback from faculty members on the assessment method's efficacy.

Main Results:

• Student reactions to the CAI clinical simulation assessment strategy were consistently positive.
• Faculty members expressed satisfaction with the computer simulation as a method of assessment.
• The simulation proved to be an objective, efficacious, and pragmatic tool.

Conclusions:

• Computer assisted instruction clinical simulation is a valuable and well-received strategy for evaluating clinical decision-making skills in nursing education.
• This method offers an objective and practical approach to assessing essential competencies for future healthcare professionals.