The influence of clinical simulation on anxiety in nursing students: A scoping review

To map the available scientific evidence on the influence of clinical simulation on anxiety in nursing students.

Elevated levels of anxiety in nursing students prior to simulation training can compromise the teaching-learning process, impacting clinical performance and motivation to learn.

Scoping review.

This scoping review was conducted according to Joanna Briggs Institute's framework and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. The PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, SciELO and LILACS databases were searched between July and August 2024. Primary studies and reviews that addressed the topic of interest, available in full, without time or language restrictions, were included. The studies were analyzed descriptively.

Forty-three articles were included. Factors such as performance expectations, fear related to the possibility of being evaluated/judged and observed, feelings of unpreparedness, lack of experience with simulation, incipient prior preparation and being an active participant in the simulated scenario contribute to the occurrence of anxiety in nursing students. The studies showed a decrease in anxiety after participating in the simulation, especially after experiencing the simulation repeatedly and in the first real clinical experience. An increase in anxiety after the simulation exercise was also observed, which may be related to the fidelity and complexity of the simulation.

Clinical simulation primarily interferes with the reduction of anxiety in nursing students, especially anxiety related to practical experiences in the nursing work environment, which reinforces its relevance as a teaching-learning strategy.