Simulation and Psychomotor Skill Acquisition: A Review of the Literature

Decreased opportunities for skill practice and mounting concerns that graduate nurses are not competent in basic psychomotor skills requires nurse educators to reevaluate methods to teach these skills. Simulation offers a fresh approach to psychomotor skills education allowing the student to integrate knowledge from all three learning domains while practicing the skill. This article discusses the current state of the science on the use of simulation for psychomotor skill acquisition. This literature review identifies that limited empirical evidence exists to support the efficacy of simulation to teach psychomotor skills, most notably within the discipline of nursing. The existing data stem from studies with limitations that affect the interpretation and generalizability of the results. These findings suggest the need for further research in the area of simulation and psychomotor skill acquisition within nursing education.