The mediating role of flow in the relationship between simulation design and simulation educational satisfaction in Korean nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background In Korea, there has been recent interest in nursing simulation education. Although students may find simulation-based teaching techniques fresh and fascinating, it is important to assess students' satisfaction with these techniques beyond their novelty value. Flow, the state of absolute immersion in a specific activity, is an important ask of simulated learning. Therefore, this study examined the mediating effect of flow on the relationships between simulation design and simulation educational satisfaction. Method & Materials: A cross-sectional study design was used. The participants of this study were 143 fourth-year nursing students who had participated in classes using simulations at three universities in Seoul, Daegu, and Jeonbuk. Data were collected from April 24 to May 3, 2023. Demographic data, simulation design scale, flow in simulation, and the educational satisfaction scale in simulation were collected via an online questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. Results Our results indicate that simulation design has a positive effect on flow and simulation educational satisfaction and flow has a positive effect on simulation educational satisfaction. Additionally, flow mediated the impact of simulation design on simulation educational satisfaction. Conclusion The significance of the current study lies in its confirmation of the link between simulation design and simulation educational satisfaction, as well as the mediating function of flow. Nursing students can achieve simulation educational satisfaction through simulation-based education if simulation educators follow best practices that improve flow through well-organized simulation design.