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Impact of Simulation-Based Training on Audiology Students' Professional Competences: A Pilot Randomized Study
Noura I Alothman1, Ahmad A Alanazi2,3,4, Rawan A AlQarni1
1Department of Health Communication Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Background:
Developing professional competencies such as empathy, counseling, and communication is an essential yet often underemphasized aspect of audiology education. Traditional instruction may provide theoretical knowledge but limited opportunity for experiential practice in emotionally charged clinical situations, such as delivering bad news to patients and families.
Purpose:
We compared the impact of simulation-based training and case scenario discussions on audiology students' confidence in professional competencies.
Research Design:
We used a randomized controlled pre- and posttest study design. All participants attended a 1-hour lecture on counseling strategies for delivering bad news and completed a professional competence confidence questionnaire before and after the intervention.
Study Sample:
Sixteen undergraduate audiology students enrolled in a single university program were randomly assigned to either the simulation group (n = 8) or the case-scenario discussion control group (n = 8).
Intervention:
The experimental group engaged in a live simulation with standardized patients, whereas the control group viewed recorded case scenarios; both groups participated in guided debriefing sessions.
Data Collection And Analysis:
Self-reported confidence levels across domains of empathy, professionalism, and provision of support/resources were measured using a validated questionnaire. Pre- and postintervention scores were analyzed within groups using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and between groups using the Mann-Whitney U test, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Results:
Despite the small sample size, students in the simulation group demonstrated statistically significant gains in confidence across empathy, professionalism, and supportive communication skills (p < 0.05), whereas the control group showed modest improvements limited to support and resources.
Conclusions:
Simulation-based training was more effective than case-scenario observation, even when observation was paired with structured debriefing, highlighting the added value of hands-on, experiential participation.
Clinical Relevance Statement:
Integrating simulation into audiology curricula offers a practical method to strengthen students' interpersonal and counseling skills in emotionally sensitive situations. These findings highlight the potential of simulation as a scalable and evidence-informed strategy to improve clinical readiness and patient-centered communication in audiological practice.