Development and evaluation of simulation-based training for obstetrical nursing using human patient simulators

As the observation of obstetrical patients with diverse complications is increasingly rare in clinical training, computerized high-fidelity simulators can greatly benefit obstetrical nurse education. However,simulation scenarios in obstetrical nursing are not well studied. This study aims to develop simulation scenarios for obstetrical nursing that (1) demonstrate clinical situations from prenatal, labor and delivery, to postpartum phases and (2) provide educational tools for student evaluation and weakness identification. We developed four simulation scenarios: prenatal, labor and delivery I, labor and delivery II, and postpartum. Each scenario is designed to demonstrate students' knowledge, techniques, and interpersonal skills. One hundred thirty-eight second-year nursing students were trained with four scenarios using a high-fidelity simulator, after which each student was evaluated by one selected scenario. In the experiments, students' self-confidence increased after the program in all scenarios (P < .001). Students scored higher in prenatal and postpartum scenarios than labor and delivery I and II scenarios. In particular, most students could perform relevant actions, but many students failed to perform the actions correctly. Our results show that the designed scenarios are effectual for promoting students' self-confidence and improving the quality of obstetrical nursing education.