The effectiveness of the semi-virtual simulation teaching model based on the Standards of Best Practice of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning

TL;DR

This study compared a new semi-virtual simulation teaching model with traditional methods in nursing education and found both to be equally effective.

Contribution

The study introduces a semi-virtual simulation model aligned with international clinical simulation standards and evaluates its effectiveness.

Findings

The semi-virtual and traditional simulation models had similar overall effectiveness scores.

The semi-virtual model showed a significant advantage in the prebriefing section.

Student feedback indicated both models were effective and similarly perceived.

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the semi-virtual simulation and traditional simulation teaching models based on the Standards of Best Practice (SOBP) according to the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) in the Adult Nursing course.

This study used a quasi-experimental design. A total of 94 third-year nursing students from a university in Beijing between November and December 2022 were recruited as participants. An innovative semi-virtual simulation teaching model was designed based on the SOBP established by the INACSL. In the Adult Nursing course, both the semi-virtual and traditional simulation teaching models were implemented. At the end of the simulation sessions, participants completed the Chinese version of the Simulation Effectiveness Tool–Modified (SET-M) to assess the effectiveness of the two teaching models.

All nursing students completed the simulation sessions. There was no difference (t = −0.93, P = 0.353) in the total scores between the semi-virtual simulation teaching model (50.87 ± 5.30) and the traditional simulation teaching model (50.37 ± 5.16). However, there was a statistically significant difference (t = −2.65, P = 0.010) in the prebriefing section (semi-virtual simulation: 5.60 ± 0.71; traditional simulation: 5.33 ± 0.78). In contrast, no statistically significant differences were found for the scenario and debriefing sections (P > 0.05). At the individual item level, statistical differences (P < 0.05) between the two models were identified for items 1 and 9, but not for the remaining items (P > 0.05). By analyzing the open-ended question, it was found that both simulation models were effective, and students’ comments were similar.

The study demonstrated equivalent effectiveness between the semi-virtual and traditional simulation teaching models. Semi-virtual simulation teaching model could offer a more flexible and feasible approach to simulation teaching.