Longitudinal Impact of a Targeted Simulation Experience on High-Stakes Examination Outcomes

• Health Education Systems Incorporated© examination scores increase for students who participated in a content specific human patient simulation (HPS) versus students who did not participate in HPS.
• HPS is an effective teaching method for undergraduate nurse education.
• Offering a content-specific HPS may increase knowledge, help retention, and be used as an effective tool for remediation processes.

BackgroundThis study provides a longitudinal vantage point to demonstrate how a research-based approach to human patient simulation (HPS) utilization may affect didactic learning in nursing education.MethodsThe study used a quantitative, experimental, longitudinal, repeated measures design with baccalaureate nursing students (n = 94) who were enrolled in an adult health course.ResultsThe data revealed an increase in Health Education Systems Incorporated© examination scores for students who participated in a content specific HPS versus those who did not.ConclusionThe findings from this study provide quantitative evidence that HPS may be an effective teaching method for undergraduate nurse education.