Abstract:

Purpose:
The purpose of this replicated study is to quantify the confidence level of undergraduate nursing students before and after a simulated scenario. Showing increased confidence levels indicates an increased need for simulation labs to be part of the nursing curriculum.

Methodology:
Replicated educational research study utilizing nursing student in their last semester of academic and clinical study at Simmons College.
Permission obtained to conduct research from Institutional review board, nursing program and faculty.
57 students consented to participate.
Approximately 10-12 nursing students attended 3 simulated sessions, each 2 hours, run by a Simulation Specialist.
Participants completed pre-C scale before the simulation and the post-C scale and open-ended questions immediately following debriefing.
Data analyzed using SPSS software.

Results:
The paired t-tests individually by question showed that the average confidence scores increased significantly after simulation. Although the results were statistically significant, the confidence scores, on average, showed a minimal increase from approximately 2 to 3 on the confidence scale. It showed that although the students were more confident after simulation, they started the simulation with a low level of confidence and did not feel radically more confident after the simulation session.

Conclusions:
The study revealed a significant increase in student’s confidence levels after each simulation session. It also showed that confidence levels increased with repeated simulation exposure. This has significant impact in nursing education and clinical instruction of nursing students. One can conclude that simulation is an integral part of the nursing curriculum and can impact a student’s preparedness for entry into nursing practice.

Keywords:

Confidence level, Simulation, nursing education, nursing practice.