Comparing the Effectiveness of Clinical Simulation versus Didactic Methods to Teach Undergraduate Adult Nursing Students to Recognize and Assess the Deteriorating Patient

BackgroundClinical simulation in undergraduate nursing programs is prevalent. It is unclear if skills taught by simulation are effectively transferred into clinical practice. This study evaluated the effectiveness of clinical simulation compared with classroom teaching in teaching the assessment of the deteriorating patient.MethodsThis study used a phase II, single, randomized, controlled trial with single-blinded assessments. Students were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. Participants underwent pre and post intervention Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with objective performance criteria. Participants completed self-reported competence and self-efficacy questionnaires both pre- and post-test OSCE and a student satisfaction form.ResultsThe experimental group displayed a significantly better performance on post intervention OSCE. There was no correlation between self-reported confidence and self-efficacy and OSCE performance. Participants who received clinical simulation teaching were significantly more satisfied with their teaching experience.ConclusionThe study suggests that clinical simulation is a more effective teaching strategy than classroom teaching for the development of the assessment skills of the deteriorating patient.