Responding to patient deterioration from simulation to practice: A narrative study of undergraduate nursing students

This study explores the impact of simulation-based training on nursing students' readiness to respond to patient deterioration in clinical practice.

With limited in-hospital training opportunities, nursing educators seek alternative strategies to teach clinical skills. Simulation-based training offers a controlled environment for skill development and refinement.

A narrative research design was used to examine the experiences of senior undergraduate nursing students (n = 12) at a private university in the Western United States.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom.

The study identified three key themes: the application of simulation experiences to real-world settings, the aspects of simulation training valued by students and the role of simulation in emotional regulation and coping. The findings highlight the importance of simulation training in preparing nursing students for clinical emergencies.

Simulation training enhances clinical judgment and emotional resilience in nursing students, equipping them to handle emergent patient care. Integrating simulation into nursing curricula prepares students for clinical roles and nurse educators can enhance this by creating realistic clinical challenges in simulations.