Virtual Clinical Simulation: The State of the Science

BackgroundThe Institute of Medicine Report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health provides direction for educators to use simulation and Web-based learning. Virtual clinical simulation (VCS) is an innovative approach offering Web-based simulations. The aim of this article is to provide an integrative review of the literature and explore the state of the science of VCS in nursing.MethodThe Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database and Medline were explored, and 86 articles were selected as relevant and reviewed.ResultsOnly 3 studies were located that formally examined the use of VCS in nursing.ConclusionVCS is an emerging educational venue that warrants further investigation.