Playing With Dolls: Recent Graduates' Perspective on the Efficacy of Nursing Simulation Laboratory Experiences

Abstract

This project study addressed the recent graduates’ perception of the efficacy of simulation in registered nursing education. It has become progressively more difficult to find suitable clinical placement for nursing students. To help meet this need, schools of nursing are increasingly turning to high-fidelity simulation mannequins to substitute for clinical experience. There is a lack of research that explores the recently graduated nurse’s perceptions about the efficacy of simulation experiences. The conceptual framework for this study is the constructivist theory. This is a process of experience and reflection. It is a dynamic process that changes as the learner internalizes the experience. This study allowed the researcher to understand how recent graduates perceive the value of simulation experiences. Two research questions were identified: How do recent graduates of registered nurse (RN) education programs view the simulation lab experiences from nursing school? and In what ways do the perceptions of simulation experiences differ between associate degree RN program graduates and bachelors program RN graduates?  A qualitative, case study research design was used to explore the perceptions of recently graduated RN’s about their experience with simulation. By interviewing recent graduates about their experiences with high-fidelity simulation in nursing school, and documenting their perceptions about the efficacy of those simulation experiences, information was obtained that will allow schools of nursing to increase the effectiveness of the simulation experience or validate its applicability in the real world setting.