The Clinical Pause: An Augmented Approach to Simulation Debriefing in Nursing Education

Debriefing after simulation, a form of reflection-on-action, is widely practiced in nursing education. A lesser used alternative is a faculty-facilitated clinical pause. During natural breaks within an unfolding simulation scenario, faculty incorporated Caputi's thinking skills to facilitate clinical reasoning, reflection-in-action, and timely feedback. The clinical pause enabled well-timed validation of correct thinking, resolution of erroneous thinking, and deliberate practice opportunities to construct contextual meaning. Written student comments, obtained after the simulation, suggest the clinical pause teaching innovation enhanced learning and clinical reasoning. Combining the clinical pause with end-of-simulation debriefing can provide a powerful one-two punch that maximizes clinical judgment.