TITLE:
Lebanese Student’s Experience of Benefits of High Fidelity Simulation in Nursing Education: A Qualitative Approach
AUTHORS:
Mirna A. Fawaz, Ayman M. Hamdan-Mansour
KEYWORDS:
High-Fidelity Simulation, Nursing Students, Personal Experience
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.6 No.10,
October
26,
2016
ABSTRACT: Background: Simulation is perceived as an important part to the nursing clinical educational experience since it can offer a safe learning environment for the students’ clinical practice. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the Lebanese student’s experience of benefits of high fidelity simulation in nursing education. Design: A qualitative study using open-ended questionnaire. Setting: This study was implemented at private university in Lebanon between January and April 2015. Participants: A purposive sample was sought from those who have a simulated experience. Methods: Qualitative data were collected via interviews and analysed using a thematic approach. Findings: Four major themes were identified: “Bridging Theory to Clinical Practice”, “Developing Critical Thinking and Decision-making”, “Practicing Safely Leads to Enhancing Confidence”, “Teamwork Spirit and students’ motivation to earn and practice more”. Conclusion: Simulation was found to be an acceptable learning strategy for novice nursing students. The use of simulations is a useful and effective learning strategy. Students with a higher positive attitude towards the simulation experience displayed better learning outcomes. Thus, the integration of simulation into the learning experience of nursing students will bridge the gap between theory and practice; enhance their critical thinking and motivation aptitudes along with traditional clinical practice by sparing them a safe milieu.