Using High-Fidelity Simulation to Evaluate Clinical Skills in Prelicensure Nursing Students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation

Background:

• Prelicensure nursing programs require formal validation of student clinical skills and decision-making.
• Variability in student performance across a nursing program necessitates standardized evaluation methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a high-fidelity simulation process for validating clinical skills and decision-making in associate degree nursing students.
• To enhance consistency in student performance evaluation across the nursing program.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of high-fidelity simulation experiences for nursing students.
• Utilizing simulated scenarios for both formative and summative student evaluations.
• Standardizing performance assessment across different nursing courses.

Main Results:

• High-fidelity simulation provided a platform for consistent evaluation of student clinical skills and decision-making.
• Faculty reported enhanced consistency in their expectations of student performance.
• Nursing students reported increased confidence in their clinical practice abilities.

Conclusions:

• High-fidelity simulation is an effective tool for validating nursing student competencies.
• This simulation process promotes standardized learning and performance assessment in nursing education.
• Simulation positively impacts faculty consistency and student confidence in clinical nursing skills.