Diversity of nursing student views about simulation design: a q-methodological study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Effective nursing education relies on well-designed simulation activities.
• Educator awareness of student learning experiences and perceptions is vital for skillful simulation teaching.
• Student feedback is crucial for revising simulation activities, necessitating an understanding of their response perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and identify the distinct perspectives nursing students hold regarding simulation design.
• To understand how students perceive educators' actions and their learning experiences within simulation activities.
• To provide insights for improving simulation-based nursing education by recognizing diverse student viewpoints.

Main Methods:

• A Q-methodological approach was employed.
• Forty-five nursing students participated in the study.
• Students rank-ordered 60 opinion statements about simulation design into a distribution grid.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis identified five distinct student perspectives on simulation design.
• These perspectives were labeled: 'Let Me Show You', 'Stand By Me', 'The Agony of Defeat', 'Let Me Think It Through', and 'I'm Engaging and So Should You'.
• The findings highlight the unique and personal nature of student viewpoints in simulation learning.

Conclusions:

• Nurse educators should ensure students understand the purpose of each simulation activity.
• Incorporating presimulation assignments can optimize learning and reduce student anxiety.
• The identified five perspectives can be utilized as a tool to address individual student learning needs in simulation.