Simultaneous Multiple Patient Simulation in Undergraduate Nursing Education: A Focused Literature Review

• Nursing students tend to be satisfied with multiple patient simulation.
• Evidence about multiple patient simulation is sparse and based on single group pretest–posttest designs.
• Research that uses longitudinal designs, valid measures, and randomization is needed.

Newly graduated registered nurses are entering nursing practice with few, if any, undergraduate experiences caring for more than one patient at a time. Employers have identified this as a significant concern related to patient safety and staff morale. A potential solution to this dilemma is to assign multiple patient simulations during undergraduate preparation. However, little is known about the use of simultaneous multiple patient simulation (SMPS) in undergraduate nursing education. Furthermore, the planning and implementation of SMPSs can be resource intensive and cost prohibitive. The purpose of this article was to analyze the scientific quality of articles related to SMPS published between January 1, 2005, and October 31, 2015, and to provide recommendations for future research about the use of SMPS in undergraduate nursing education. Twelve publications were appraised using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Research Evidence Appraisal Tool. Although undergraduate nursing students tend to be satisfied with, and challenged by, this learning strategy, evidence about its effectiveness as a strategy to learn how to care for multiple patients simultaneously is lacking. Further research that utilizes longitudinal, rather than cross-sectional, study designs, psychometrically sound outcome measures, and participant randomization is necessary to provide evidence for the widespread use of SMPSs in undergraduate nursing education programs.