Using Simulation to Promote Professional Development of Clinical Instructors

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Clinical Pedagogy

Background:

• Clinical instructors are vital for nursing student education.
• Effective orientation and support for clinical instructors are essential for quality student experiences.
• Simulation offers a valuable teaching strategy for preparing clinical instructors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the use of simulation in preparing clinical instructors for their teaching roles.
• To enhance clinical instructors' confidence in providing clinical education to nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Clinical instructors participated in an orientation program featuring simulation.
• Nursing student volunteers role-played scenarios requiring instructor intervention for patient safety.
• Post-simulation, instructors completed an online survey assessing their confidence in teaching.

Main Results:

• Twenty-six clinical instructors engaged in the simulation and survey.
• The simulation involved realistic patient safety scenarios with student volunteers.

Conclusions:

• Clinical instructors reported that simulation adequately prepared them for clinical teaching.
• Simulation was found to increase instructor confidence in teaching nursing students.
• The simulation experience aided instructors in providing effective student feedback.