Benefits of Simulation Education

• Simulation offers the opportunity for nursing students to practice skills, techniques, communication, problem solving and critical thinking in a safe environment.
  Simulation offers innovative ways of teaching students about real situation in a controlled environment (Webster, 2009).
  An interactive environment that permits learning through hands on experience is possible with high fidelity simulation experiences in nursing education (Rhodes & Curran, 2005).
  
  
  
  Simulation in nursing education offers many advantages including:


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  · High Fidelity simulation provide a realistic simulated clinical environment for learners ( Seropian, Brown, Gavilanes & Driggers, 2004)
  · Simulation environments can reduce and eliminate anxieties produced with providing care for real patients ( Halstead, 2006)
  · The health care settings which “real life” clinical experiences take place have a high level of acuity and complexity which can interfere with a learner’s ability to transfer knowledge and skills from classroom and laboratory settings which can be avoided with the simulated experiences (Halstead, 2006)
  · Mannequin-based clinical simulation education potentially offers nursing students varied clinical patient simulation that are comparable with an acute setting ( Katz, Peifer, & Armstrong, 2010)
  · Enable students to critically analyze and reflect on their performance ( Jeffries, 2005)
  · Promote active learning so what is learned can be retained longer (Walsh, 2010)
  · Learn from and solve problems in a realistic complex situation (Walsh, 2010).
  · Learn how to take a patient history in difficult situations ( Walsh, 2010)
  · Expose students to the same simulations to ensure that their experiences are standardized which increases students’ self confidence and decreases anxiety ( Walsh, 2010).
  · Improving patient safety (Halstead, 2006).
  · Experimentation and failure are allowed (McDonald, 1987).
  · Self-evaluation is promoted through self reflection in the debriefing (Jefferies, 2005).
  · Feedback can be elicited (Jefferies, 2005).
  · Take part in multiprofessional learning alongside other health care providers(Halstead, 2006;Walsh, 2010)
  
  Halstead, J. A. (2006). Evidence-based teaching and clinical simulation . Clinical Simulation in Nursing Education., 2, 5-8.


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  Jefferies, P. (2005). A framework for designing, implementing, and evaluating simulations used as teaching strategies in nursing . Nursing Education Perspectives, 26, 96-103 .


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  Katz, G. B., Peifer, K. L., & Armstrong, G. (2010). Assessment of patient simulation use in selected baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States. Simulation in Healthcare,5, 46-51.


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  Rhodes, M.L., & Curran, C. (2005). Use of the human patient simulator to teach clinical judgment skills in a baccalaureate nursing program. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 23(5), 256-262.


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  Seropian, M. A., Brown, K., Samuelson Gavilanes, J., & Driggers, B. (2004). Simulations: not just a manikin. Journal of Nursing Education, 43(4), 164-169.
  


• Walsh, M. (2010). Using a simulated learning environment. Emergency Nurse, 18, 12-16.


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  Webster, M.R. (2009). An innovative faculty toolkit simulation success. Nurse Educator, 34, 148-149.