The case for group planning in human patient simulation.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Medical Education

Background:

• Prelicensure nursing students often experience anxiety during high-acuity simulations.
• Student apprehension can negatively impact learning outcomes in simulation settings.
• Traditional simulation debriefing may not fully address student-centered concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nursing students' attitudes towards simulation experiences.
• To identify strategies for improving simulation learning in high-acuity nursing courses.
• To evaluate the impact of collaborative learning interventions on student anxiety and learning.

Main Methods:

• Formative evaluation using paper-and-pen methods.
• Focus group discussions to gather qualitative student feedback.
• Implementation of group-planning sessions before simulations.
• Analysis of student self-reported anxiety and learning gains.

Main Results:

• Students reported feeling singled out and apprehensive during simulations.
• Collaborative group-planning sessions were identified as a potential solution.
• Post-intervention, students experienced reduced anxiety and enhanced learning.
• Group-planning was consistently rated as the most beneficial simulation component.

Conclusions:

• Group care planning is a valuable simulation design component for prelicensure nursing students.
• Collaborative strategies can mitigate anxiety and improve learning in simulation.
• Addressing student-centered concerns enhances the effectiveness of simulation-based education.