Testing computer-based simulation to enhance clinical judgment skills in senior nursing students

Expert clinical judgment is the culmination of knowledge and experiential learning that includes reflections on immediate problems and past experience. In nursing education, experiential learning is augmented through the use of simulated clinical experiences provided in simulation laboratories. Various simulations have been reported; however, few studies target the effectiveness of experiential learning using a computer-based simulation available to the individual user. An educational intervention based on Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) is examined in this pilot study, to determine the feasibility of conducting a future larger-scale research project on the effectiveness of ELT in enhancing development of clinical judgment skills.