The Effect of Simulation on Nursing Students' Knowledge About Colostomy Irrigation: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Objective: to compare the effect of clinical simulation and of a lectured class on Nursing students' knowledge about the colostomy irrigation procedure. Method: a quasi-experimental study conducted in September 2019 with Nursing students attending Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte in Natal, Brazil. The instruments used were a questionnaire targeted at sociodemographic issues and a knowledge analysis tool at three different moments. The Control Group had a lectured class and the Intervention Group took part in the laboratory simulation. The Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney tests were used for data analysis. Results: no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of the sociodemographic profile. In the analysis of the means of correct answers, better measures were observed in the post-test of both groups when compared to the pre-test; however, in the retention test, the students from the Intervention Group had better and statistically significant results than those from the Control Group (p-value=0.015). Conclusion: it is noticed that both teaching strategies exerted a positive effect on the students' learning process. Although both are equally important and effective, simulation showed better performance in knowledge retention. It is expected that this research enables educators to reflect on their work and allows them to use strategies that enhance their teaching practice, in order to benefit teaching and the students' development.