Simulation-based learning in nursing curriculum- time to prepare quality nurses: A systematic review and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Education
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Simulation-based learning (SBL) is a vital teaching method for clinical content without patient risk.
• It is adaptable to diverse clinical scenarios.
• SBL addresses risks inherent in traditional trainee learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of SBL on cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning domains.
• To compare the effectiveness of SBL against traditional teaching methods in nursing education.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of studies published until March 2021.
• Searches conducted across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Clinical Trial databases.
• Data extraction and risk of bias assessment performed by two independent authors.

Main Results:

• Analysis included 364 nursing students, demonstrating significant benefits of SBL.
• SBL positively impacted students' understanding (SMD=1.31), self-confidence (SMD=1.93), learning satisfaction, skills (SMD=1.62), and psychological care (SMD=1.60).
• Considerable heterogeneity (I²=54%-86%) was noted across studies.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based learning is an effective strategy for enhancing nursing students' skills.
• SBL positively influences cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of learning.
• The findings support SBL as a valuable pedagogical tool in nursing education.