Exploring student perceptions of virtual simulation versus traditional clinical and manikin-based simulation.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Pedagogy

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift in nursing education, moving from traditional clinical experiences to remote learning and virtual simulation.
• Access to healthcare facilities for nursing students was significantly restricted, prompting innovative educational approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nursing students' perceptions of virtual simulation's effectiveness in meeting learning needs.
• To compare virtual simulation with traditional clinical experiences and manikin-based simulation.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, multi-site, exploratory, descriptive study was conducted with 97 participants.
• The Clinical Learning Environment Comparison Survey 2.0 was administered post-virtual simulation experience.
• Kruskal-Wallis tests analyzed differences based on degree program and academic level/term.

Main Results:

• Traditional clinical experiences were perceived to meet all learning needs across all subscales (communication, nursing process, holism, critical thinking, self-efficacy).
• Manikin-based simulation met perceived learning needs for critical thinking and teaching-learning dyad.
• Virtual simulation met perceived learning needs for nursing process, critical thinking, self-efficacy, and teaching-learning dyad.

Conclusions:

• Traditional clinical learning experiences are considered the "gold standard" in nursing education.
• Both manikin-based and virtual simulation effectively meet specific, crucial learning needs for nursing students.
• Simulation modalities offer valuable supplements to traditional clinical training, particularly in the context of evolving educational demands.