Implementation of simulation to improve staff nurse education

This project implemented a simulation curriculum during the nursing orientation process at a Midwestern, rural community hospital. Three consecutive cohorts for a total of nine new graduate nurses engaged in four simulations at the end of the first week of orientation. The Orientation and Simulation Pre/Post Confidence and Competence Survey was used to assess presimulation and postsimulation confidence and competence. One hundred percent of participants had an increase in perceived confidence and competence from presurvey to postsurvey. At the project's completion, the project site opted to sustain the simulations in orientation as an intervention to improve confidence and competence and, ultimately, lower attrition rates in newly hired nurses.