Junior and Senior Nursing Students: A Near-Peer Simulation Experience

Near-peer teaching is a form of peer-assisted learning with at least 1 year of difference between the groups of students.

A near-peer simulation allowed junior nursing students to obtain a focused history and assessment, administer medications, and provide patient education to senior students. Senior students provided performance feedback to the junior students. Faculty gave additional feedback and facilitated a group debriefing session. All students were asked to complete an anonymous online postsurvey.

One hundred nine junior and senior students completed the immediate postsurvey. The mean score was 2.14, corresponding to the "agree" response. Nearly three quarters (73%) of the students indicated they agree or strongly agree that "the simulation provided a variety of ways to learn." Five themes emerged: Improved Confidence in Assessment Skills, Communication, Connecting Nursing Content, Peer Feedback and Interaction, and Awareness of Community Resources.

Near-peer simulation is a beneficial teaching strategy for nursing students. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(1):54-56.].