Implementation and Evaluation of Home Health Simulation to Improve Pre-Licensure Bachelor of Science Nursing Students' Learning: An Action Research Study

Abstract

This action based research study used a descriptive triangulation process,which included quantitative and qualitative methods for competency skills in regards to nursing students’ perceptions of learning using simulation. The simulation included a home health simulation with a high-fidelity mannequin. The study was done at a private, proprietary 36-month baccalaureate (prelicensure) nursing program in the Denver metropolitan area. The research study was introduced to students in the community health course during the Spring and Summer quarters of 2013. The data collection in this study included measurements from observation questionnaires, survey questionnaires, and focused group debriefings with the focus on QSEN competencies of patient-centered care, safety, teamwork/collaboration, and quality improvement with student reflections. In addition, literature on home health simulations was lacking. This study discovered that the implementation of home health simulation enhanced student learning and better prepared them for  the required competencies of a graduate nurse.