Teaching Nursing Leadership: Comparison of Simulation versus Traditional Inpatient Clinical

Abstract

Nurse educators claim accountability to ensure their students are prepared to assume leadership responsibilities upon graduation. Although front-line nurse leaders and nurse executives feel new graduates are not adequately prepared to take on basic leadership roles, professional nursing organizations such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) deem leadership skills are core competencies of new graduate nurses. This study includes comparison of a leadership-focused multi-patient simulation and the traditional leadership clinical experiences in a baccalaureate nursing leadership course. The results of this research show both environments contribute to student learning. There was no statistical difference in the overall score. Students perceived a statistically significant difference in communication with patients in the traditional inpatient environment. However, the students perceived a statistical significant difference in teaching-learning dyad toward simulation.

Leadership teaching strategies in undergraduate nursing courses

“…The exercises improve the performance of students and contribute to the acquisition of confidence and experience to be used in the professional practice of future nurses. Compared to leadership learning in traditional clinical settings, simulations are more effective to promote a better retention of knowledge, but communication is best developed in real situations (11) . Thus, both are complementary to acquire competences and should be equally applied during the training of nurses (21) .…”

“…Leadership: Comparison of Simulation versus Traditional Inpatient Clinical (11) The students experience simulations and actual clinical experiences and have to face situations that require quick and team actions.…”

“…Three studies (6)(7)(8) highlighted the use of audiovisual resources. Simulations were present in three articles (9)(10)(11) , which introduced students to the role of leaders and team members. Internship, also treated as a boarding school, is another strategy that emerged alone or associated, and had a positive impact on leadership in two publications (12)(13) .…”

Use of Simulation in Teaching Nursing Leadership and Management Course

“…The vast majority of the articles (n=7, 70%) reviewed were originated and conducted in USA and the remaining articles were from other countries such as Ireland, Australia, and Canada. Six studies (60%) utilized a descriptive research design 7,24,[29][30][31][32] , two with a one group pre and posttest design 33,34 , one with a mixedmethod design 35 , and one with a two posttest design 25 . The sample sizes ranged from twenty four to one hundred fifty five.…”

“…However, facilitating and teaching leadership and management skills among nursing students' remains to be a significant challenge to nursing faculty due to several factors such as increasing nursing student applications for admission, nursing faculty shortage, and limited clinical placements to facilitate and integrate leadership concepts in clinical practice [4][5][6] . Unsurprisingly, many nurse managers and nurse executives perceive that newly graduated nurses are insufficiently ready to perform leadership roles and responsibilities and lack management skills when they start working as a professional nurse 7 .…”