Developing patient-centered care competencies among prelicensure nursing students using simulation

Health care improvement requires collaboration between academia and practice to bridge gaps in nurse education and achievement of quality outcomes. Quality and Safety Education for Nurses identified six domains, including patient-centered care, that should be addressed during prelicensure education. Simulation is a recommended strategy to teach safe clinical practice; however, cost, space, and faculty resources are barriers to its use. Computer-based social simulation is less resource intensive and effective in improving critical-thinking skills. A pilot study was conducted to compare required resources and student learning outcomes for traditional versus computer-based simulation. Fifty-three baccalaureate nursing students participated in the study; 34 completed the computer-based simulation and 31 completed the traditional simulation. Group patient-centered care competency scores improved similarly (p < 0.001), although fewer faculty hours were required to administer the computer-based intervention. Findings suggest computer-based simulation is an efficient and effective learning strategy to develop patient-centered care competencies.