Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Effect of simulation on the development of critical thinking in associate degree nursing students
Lori Goodstone1, Michael S Goodstone, Kathleen Cino
1Farmingdale State College, New York, USA. goodstl@farmingdale.edu
Aim:
The purpose of this study was to explore the development of critical thinking for students who received instruction using high-fidelity patient simulation (HFPS) versus low-fidelity simulation (instructor-written case studies).
Background:
Simulated patient care environments have become increasingly more sophisticated in nursing labs, with HFPS fast becoming the standard for laboratory teaching/learning.
Method:
A convenience sample of first-semester associate degree nursing students participated in this quasi-experimental study. One group of students received weekly HFPS patient simulations and the other group received weekly case studies. Both groups took a pre- and posttest using the Health Studies ReasoningTest.
Results:
Both groups showed an increase in critical thinking skills; however, there was no statistically significant difference between the HFPS and case study groups.
Conclusion:
Results suggest that high- and low-fidelity simulations are both associated with increases in critical thinking scores.
Related Concept Videos
Critical Thinking II
Critical Thinking I
Patient-centered Care
Fundamentals of Nursing Process I
Current Trends in Nursing II
Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching I: Assessment and Diagnosis
It is critical to determine the patient's learning needs during the assessment. Determination of learning needs compounds data from the...
