The Impact of a Simulation-Based Learning Activity Using Actor Patients on Final Year Nursing Students’ Learning

Abstract

Fundamental to clinical nursing is the ability to recognise patient deterioration and know what to do. These skills are vital for patient safety and yet remain a challenge to teach nursing students. Simulation provides a means for students to develop the necessary skills in a safe learning environment. This qualitative descriptive study investigated final-year nursing students’ perception of the effectiveness of a ward-based simulation learning activity using actor patients. The research question that underpinned this study is as follows: Does actor patient simulation help preparedness for clinical practice? The simulation setting was a mock medical-surgical ward in a tertiary education clinical skills centre. Focus group interviews were conducted in two parts: immediately after the simulation and then three months later when students had completed their clinical placements. Thematic analysis identified three main themes: decreasing the theory-practice gap; decision-making; and acting like a registered nurse. This study found that simulation with actor patients positively impacted nursing students’ learning, reinforcing other studies that support simulation as an effective learning strategy. Although the simulation was challenging, students valued the opportunity to role-play as a registered nurse, which provided insight into the skills and abilities needed for clinical practice. Te reo Māori translation Te pānga o tētahi ngohe akoranga ā-whakatakune mā te whakamahi i ngā tūroro kaiwhakaari, ki te akoranga tau whakamutunga o ētahi akonga tau tuatahi Ngā Ariā Matua He mea tino hira te kite wawe i te heke o te tūroro, waihoki te mōhio me aha te tapuhi, mō te haumarutanga tūroro, engari e noho ana hei mea uaua ki te whakaako ki ngā akonga tapuhi. Ko te whakatakune tētahi ara pai mō ngā ākonga hei whakawhanake i ngā pūkenga haumaru i roto i tētahi horopaki ako haumaru. I tūhura tēnei rangahau kounga whakaahua i ngā kitenga o ngā ākonga tapuhi tau whakamutunga mō te whāinga hua o tētahi ngohe ako i te wāhanga hōhipera nā te whakamahi i ngā tūroro kaiwhakaari. Ko te pātai rangahau i roto i tēnei mahi ko tēnei: Hei āwhina te whakatakune i te takatū mō te mahi i te taha o te tūroro? Ko te wāhi o te whakaritenga whakatakune ko tētahi wāhanga hōhipera taurima mate-hāparapara i tētahi pūtahi pūkenga tiaki turoro mātauranga matua. I kawea ētahi uiuinga rōpū arotahi i ētahi wā e rua: i muri tonu mai i te whakatakune; ā, e toru marama i muri i te whakatakune i te otinga o ngā whakanohonga tiaki tūroro o ngā ākonga. E toru ngā tāhuhu matua i tautohutia i roto i te tātaritanga tāhuhu: te whakaheke i te āputa ariā-mahi, te whakatau take, me te kawe i te mana o te tapuhi rēhita. I kitea e tēnei rangahau i whai hua te whakatakune me ngā tūroro kaiwhakaari ki te akoranga o ngā tapuhi, me tōna whakatūturu i ētahi atu rangahau e tautoko nei i te whakatakune hei rautaki ako whai hua. Ahakoa te uaua o te whakatakune, he mea hira ki ngā akonga te kawe i te tūranga o te tapuhi rēhita, i puta ai he māramatanga ki ngā pūkenga me ngā āheinga e hiahiatia ana mō te mahi tiaki tūroro tūturu. Ngā kupu matua: tūroro kaiwhakaari, akonga tapuhi, hekenga o te tūroro, te whakatakune, te tātari tāhuhu