Preparing Nurse Educators for Simulation Education: An International Development Model

Clinical experience is an important element in the training of nurses; facilitating the development of nursing students’ clinical and non-clinical skills and competence (Levett-Jones, Gersbach, Arthur, & Roche 2011). Clinical experience/opportunities may have a detrimental effect on the overall competence of nursing students and subsequent graduate if they are limiting and unfocused. The lack of opportunities for clinical experience among student nurses presents a significant challenge for nurse educators (Gates, Parr, & Hughen, 2012; NLN, 2015a; NLN, 2015b). High student enrolment and long standing shortage of nurse educators are issues affecting the quality of nursing education programmes internationally (Gates, Parr, & Hughen, 2012; National League for Nursing, 2009). Wang, Whitehead and Bayes (2016) note a rise in undergraduate nursing programs globally resulting in inconsistencies in learning objectives and curricula. Additionally, clinical placement has become more beneficial to the health care system to absorb the high work load rather an emphasis on teaching and learning. Much of the course content that students learn in their nursing course is not applied in clinical settings and faculty globally report that students come with content knowledge but are unable to demonstrate how to use the knowledge. These and factors such as patient safety in the education and training of nursing students necessitates the implementation of active learning principles, student engagement and thoughtful curriculum development.

Nurse educators across the globe are discussing effective faculty development initiatives to better develop clinical reasoning skills, competence and confidence in nursing students across the health care continuum. Simulation and debriefing as an effective strategy is transforming the faculty role. Nursing organizations are situated to collaborate to advance teaching and learning excellence in the design and use of simulation and debriefing resources to support the changing educator role. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss innovative practice and education collaborations in the US, Asia and India to design and deliver practice and education resources in the use of simulation and debriefing to improve student learning and ultimately the delivery of safe patient care.