Development of Clinical Judgment in Prelicensure Nursing Students Through Simulation: A Longitudinal Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Clinical Judgment Development

Background:

• Limited longitudinal data exists on student progression in clinical judgment.
• Prior research often focused on short-term interventions or single-semester gains.
• A need for comprehensive assessment of clinical judgment development throughout nursing programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the development and progression of clinical judgment in prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students.
• To utilize simulation as a tool for assessing clinical judgment.
• To employ the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) for standardized measurement.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective longitudinal study design.
• Analysis of 18 simulation scores per student across 4 semesters (n=53).
• Linear mixed model used to compare LCJR scores over time.

Main Results:

• Progressive increase in Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) scores observed from semester 1 to semester 4.
• Significant gains in clinical judgment demonstrated throughout the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
• Consistent improvement noted across 18 simulations and 4 nursing courses.

Conclusions:

• The Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) is an effective tool for assessing clinical judgment progression in nursing students.
• Simulation-based assessments can effectively track the development of clinical judgment throughout a Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum.
• Students demonstrate measurable growth in clinical judgment skills during their prelicensure nursing education.