Impact of a Simulation-Based Skills Program on Nursing Students' Proficiency, Confidence, Enjoyment, and Anxiety

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and describe how a realistic and evidence-based simulation training on clinical skills impacts nursing students' proficiency, self-assessment of proficiency, confidence, enjoyment, and anxiety. The study explored the impacts this simulation training program had on FSU's nursing students enrolled in 2nd and 3rd semesters. A total of 170 nursing students participated in this study. Different modalities of simulation equipment (task trainers and high fidelity mannikins) were utilized to achieve the learning objectives of each skill taught during this training. The design of this skills training follows the Simulation Design standard of best practice by INACSL (Watts et al., 2021). Questionnaires with Likert scale and open-text responses were used to collect data on the students' self-reported proficiency, confidence, enjoyment, and anxiety. Achievement of skill proficiency was measured by faculty using checklists for each skill taught. I served as both the researcher and the designer of the boot camp skills course. The results of this study indicated that most nursing students who participated in the simulation training achieved proficiency in the clinical skills taught. Results also revealed that self-reported proficiency, confidence, and enjoyment significantly increased for all skills taught in the training program. However, the findings did not reveal a statistically significant difference between the pre and post-simulation means for self-reported anxiety. Introducing a simulation boot camp for skills practice before students start clinical rotations seems like a good adjunct that supplements clinical practice. Students enjoyed the training, receiving feedback, and practicing in a simulated environment resembling reality. However, it remains to be seen whether the skills learned in this boot camp transfer into real-world practice. More research is needed to evaluate the transferability of skills acquired through simulation into clinical practice.