Filling a Gap: Fetal Demise Simulation in Nursing Capstone Course

- Fetal demise simulation can fill the gap in nursing education, where scenarios involving death and dying are lacking.
- Important aspects of a fetal demise simulation include presimulation preparation by the student, creation and completion of a fetal demise simulation, and debriefing.
- Evaluation of the fetal demise simulation by students is overwhelmingly positive.

Gaps exist in nursing education simulations involving scenarios of death and dying, especially with fetal demise. To fill this gap in a BSN program, a fetal demise simulation was introduced. This simulation involves presimulation work, assigned roles, a simulation involving care during the immediate postpartum period, communication regarding fetal demise, and debriefing. Student satisfaction with this type of simulation has led to more simulation development involving mortality/morbidity in other levels of nursing education within this BSN program.