The Use of Simulation as a Component of Clinical Education in Health Professional Entry to Practice Programmes

Purpose: Finding sufficient physiotherapy clinical placement opportunities to meet clinical education requirements has been an ongoing challenge for Canadian physiotherapy programmes. Simulation may offer viable alternatives to traditional models. The objective of the scoping review is to describe the current use and design of simulation as a component of clinical education to develop competencies in health professional programmes. Method: This scoping review followed the JBI scoping review methodology. Five databases were searched, MEDLINE, CINHAL, EMBASE, ERIC, and SportDiscus, using variants of the search terms health professions education, simulation, and competency. Independent reviewers applied inclusion criteria in two stages: the abstract and title screen and the full-text review. Data was charted and analysed according to objectives. Results: Thirty studies were included in the review. There was large variability in the implementation of simulation, including level of learner, length of the simulation, competency, and simulation design. Most studies (n = 25) evaluated the inclusion of simulation within clinical education or compared simulation to traditional clinical education experiences. Seven studies compared different simulation designs to replace clinical education time. Conclusions: The variety of simulation experiences described and being implemented provides programmes with the flexibility to design simulation according to needs and resources. Rigorous research is recommended to contribute to an understanding of the most effective simulation design.