Simulation has been a part of the nursing education field for decades. But just how well doesnursing simulation training stand up to traditional clinical education methods? According to the 2014Journal of Nursing Regulation (JNR) study “The NCSBN National Simulation Study: A Longitudinal, Randomized, Controlled Study Replacing Clinical Hours With Simulation in Prelicensure Nursing Education," quite well!

The study was the first longitudinal, randomized, controlled trial that focused on varying levels of simulation training in place of clinical exposure. Ten schools offering ASN (Associate of Science in Nursing) or BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degrees were chosen. These colleges and universities, from various geographical locales, had “traditional” nursing curriculums without an emphasis on simulation. The study focused on the effectiveness of replacing conventional clinical experience with simulation in regards to clinical competency, knowledge, and readiness for employment.

Study participants were randomized into one of three groups: control (normal curriculum, <10% simulation), 25% (replacement of 25% of clinical education with simulation), and 50% (replacement of 50% of clinical education with simulation). The students were monitored for two academic years, in addition to six months of post-graduation follow-up.

In total, 666 students completed the study, which showed no difference amongst the three groups in terms of clinical competency, nursing knowledge, and NCLEX pass-rates. Furthermore, when newly-graduated study participants who passed the NCLEX were followed for six months, there was no significant difference in terms of clinical competency and readiness for practice amongst the employed participants.

The results of the study are welcome news to many nursing programs, particularly since the need for more nurses over the next decade and beyondis set to increase dramatically. The constant challenge to find clinical placements for nursing students will be less of an issue. Colleges looking to implement or expand nursing programs can safely use nursing simulation trainingto supplement clinical experiences, knowing that it is a comparable replacement.

However, everyone is quick to caution that in place of clinical experience, simulation trainingis only as valuable as the people and the processes behind it.One such focus is providing a “safe space” for students to learn. Mistakes made on an SP or mannequin don’t result in any immediate harm to a patient. But despite the removal of harm, mistakes must be addressed as errors and taken as seriously as they would be in the traditional clinical setting.

If you’re starting out with 10% or looking to move up to 50% nursing simulation training in your program, Education Management Solutions (EMS) provides the technology necessary to capture, organize, and analyze the data, people, and processes from each and every simulated patient encounter. Whether you’re an experienced educator looking to generate reports comparing the current class to the previous year or over time, or a new user trying to schedule simulation sessions and track inventory, SIMULATIONiQ Enterprise, with its single integrated platform and one call support for both software and hardware, makes life easy for anyone managing a simulation training center.


About The Author:
The author of the article has extensive experience in the field of Simulation Training and Clinical Simulation Management.