Faculty's Perception on Student Performance using vSim for Nursing® as a Teaching Strategy.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Educational Technology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adaptation in pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing programs.
• Traditional hospital-based clinicals became inaccessible, leading to the adoption of virtual simulation learning environments.
• Alternative learning strategies, such as virtual simulation, were crucial for student progression in nursing education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nursing faculty's perceived effectiveness of vSim for Nursing® as a replacement for clinical practice.
• To examine the effectiveness of faculty preparation for implementing virtual simulation in nursing education.
• To gather evidence supporting data-driven decisions for virtual simulation in nursing curricula.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study was conducted with pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing faculty.
• Effectiveness of virtual simulation and faculty preparation was evaluated using an adapted Simulation Effectiveness Tool - Modified (SET-M).
• Quantitative data analysis focused on mean scores for perceived effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Faculty strongly agreed that vSim for Nursing® was effective for student learning, with item scores ranging from 57.9% to 97.4%.
• A majority of faculty strongly agreed that their preparation for using virtual simulation was highly effective (86.8%-97.4%).
• Faculty perceived vSim for Nursing® as an effective tool for replacing clinical practice and felt prepared to achieve student learning outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Virtual simulation, specifically vSim for Nursing®, is perceived by faculty as an effective tool for replacing traditional clinical practice in nursing education.
• Adequate faculty preparation is essential for the successful implementation of virtual simulation and achieving student competencies.
• Further evidence is needed to support the effectiveness of virtual simulation, enabling data-driven decisions to enhance student success in clinical practice.