Assessment of patient simulation use in selected baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States

Newly graduated nurses are expected to possess clinical skills and the ability to critically judge quality in patient care. There are an increasing number of baccalaureate nursing (BSN) schools that are integrating the use of patient simulation (PS) in the educational experience of their students. This descriptive study examines the use of PS technology in selected BSN programs in the United States.

This study targeted National League for Nursing-accredited BSN schools with an online survey related to the current use of PS in course curriculum and how it is being used. Two hundred nine BSN schools were identified and 78 schools responded (37.3% response rate).

Sixty (78.9%) BSN schools responded to the survey reported using patient simulators in core clinical nursing courses: health assessment, nursing fundamentals, medical/surgical nursing I and II, pediatrics, and obstetrics courses. Approximately 31% of schools reported using high-fidelity scenarios in more than 51% of their clinical courses. The responding schools indicate that they are using PS in the usual undergraduate nursing courses that coincide with clinical settings. The replacement of actual clinical hours with PS remains controversial and unresolved. Responses to an open-ended question indicated interest in using PS but that many schools are limited by not having a dedicated faculty to champion the way and resources to purchase the technology.

Although there were limitations to this study, it is one of the first to describe the patterns of using PS in nursing schools for clinical education. As the use of this technology grows in BSN programs, addressing the issues resulting from this study are essential to understanding the use of this technology in nursing education.