Peer Collaborative Clinical Decision Making in Nursing Simulation: A Theoretical Framework

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Clinical Decision Making

Background:

• Effective collaboration and decision-making are crucial nursing competencies.
• Understanding student collaboration in simulation is limited.
• This study addresses the need to understand peer collaborative clinical decision making (PCCDM) in nursing simulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a framework describing peer collaborative clinical decision making (PCCDM) among nursing students in simulation.

Main Methods:

• Constructivist grounded theory methodology.
• 32 participants (16 dyads) from two nursing programs.

Main Results:

• The PCCDM framework includes three domains: cognition, behavior, and emotion.
• These domains are experienced through three processes: awareness, communication, and regulation.
• The framework illustrates shifts between individual and collaborative spaces and changes with simulation acuity.

Conclusions:

• The PCCDM framework models the temporal unfolding of collaborative decision-making in simulations.
• This model is applicable to nursing simulation, classroom, and clinical settings.
• It enhances understanding of how nursing students make collaborative decisions.