Computer simulations as a measure of nursing students' decision-making skills

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Simulation
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Evaluating clinical decision-making is crucial for nursing students.
• Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) offers a potential tool for skill development.
• Traditional assessment methods may not fully capture clinical competence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of computer simulations in evaluating nursing students' clinical decision-making skills.
• To determine if a series of CAI clinical simulations impacts skill achievement.
• To explore correlations between simulation performance, clinical grades, and learning styles.

Main Methods:

• 64 senior baccalaureate nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups.
• All students completed Kolb's Learning Style Inventory, pre/posttests using CAI simulations, and an attitudinal questionnaire.
• The experimental group engaged in three additional CAI simulations over seven weeks.

Main Results:

• All students showed significant learning, but no difference in achievement was found between groups completing the full CAI series and those who did not.
• Significant improvements in decision-making scores correlated positively with higher clinical grades.
• Success in the CAI simulations was independent of the students' learning styles.

Conclusions:

• Computer simulations can evaluate clinical decision-making skills in nursing students.
• While CAI did not show a significant advantage in this study, improved decision-making skills were linked to better clinical performance.
• Nursing students generally responded positively to the use of CAI simulations.