Human resource simulated vignettes to strengthen graduate nursing leadership confidence: A mixed-methods pilot

Graduate student experiences provide insufficient exposure to personnel issues faced by new clinical nursing leaders. Little is known about use of simulated learning on confidence levels in master's level nursing leadership students. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether human resource focused simulated scenarios improve graduate leadership students' confidence and assessed acceptability of this learning method.

A single-group mixed methods pilot study was used to examine leadership confidence in addressing complex human resource situations using developed realistic vignettes. A post module focus session plus open-ended comments were analyzed and converged with the data.

Statistically significant gains were seen in overall confidence from pre-to-post intervention (N = 13). Most individual scenarios showed a gain in confidence. Qualitative findings converged with the quantitative analysis, yielding three themes: effectiveness of simulated learning for leadership conflicts, pedagogical style and learning design preferences, and leadership identity and readiness for learners needing additional support.

Brief, simulated vignettes are acceptable to enhance graduate leadership students' confidence in handling human resource-based conflict. Targeted enhancements may close the gap in conflict faced by leaders when new to the role and help strengthen transition to practice.