Scenario-Based Simulation for Pain Assessment and Control in a Postanesthesia Care Unit

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Simulation
• Pain Management

Background:

• Effective pain management in the Postanesthesia Care Unit (PACU) is crucial for patient recovery.
• Simulation-based education offers a safe environment for healthcare professionals to practice complex clinical skills.
• Developing realistic scenarios is key to maximizing the benefits of simulation training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct, validate, and test a high-fidelity simulation scenario for pain control.
• To enhance the training of undergraduate nursing students in PACU pain management.
• To provide a validated tool for simulation-based nursing education.

Main Methods:

• A methodological, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted in three phases: scenario construction, content validity, and scenario testing.
• Content validity was assessed using Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI), Scale-Level Content Validity Index/Average (S-CVI/Ave), and Scale-Level Content Validity Index/Universal Agreement (S-CVI/UA).
• The exact binomial test was used to evaluate expert agreement, aiming for ≥80%.

Main Results:

• A high-complexity and fidelity simulation scenario was successfully developed, encompassing pre-briefing, briefing, simulation, and debriefing stages.
• All expert-assessed items met the validity criteria, achieving a CVI of 80%, S-CVI/UA of 85%, and S-CVI/Ave of 0.98.
• The simulation demonstrated high reliability and applicability for training.

Conclusions:

• The developed simulation scenario for PACU pain control was successfully constructed, validated, and tested.
• This validated scenario serves as an effective educational tool for nursing students.
• The study confirms the utility of simulation in preparing nurses for pain management challenges.