Development and evaluation of a forensic nursing competency-based hybrid simulation education program: A...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Forensic Nursing
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Emergency nurses are crucial for forensic nursing assessments and evidence collection in emergency departments.
• Simulation methods are effective for forensic nursing training, yet educational programs need further development.
• This study addresses the need for enhanced forensic nursing education for emergency department nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a hybrid simulation education program.
• To enhance the forensic nursing competency of emergency department nurses.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and participant satisfaction of the simulation program.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, one-group pre-test/post-test design was utilized.
• A four-hour hybrid simulation education program was developed and implemented.
• Emergency nurses (n=23) in South Korea participated, with pre- and post-training competency and performance evaluations.

Main Results:

• The experimental group showed significant improvements in forensic nursing competency and performance post-training.
• High satisfaction scores were reported for the theoretical lecture (4.79), simulation education (4.78), and overall program (4.82).
• Simulation design also received positive feedback (4.42) on a 5-point scale.

Conclusions:

• The developed hybrid simulation education program effectively improved forensic nursing competency and performance.
• This program offers a valuable tool for enhancing emergency nurses' skills in forensic nursing.
• Simulation-based education is a viable method for advancing forensic nursing care in emergency settings.