Evaluating Learning with Simulation and Debriefing: Tools and Measurement

Purpose:  Novice nurses begin their practice using rule-governed behavior to solve problems and thus are acontextual in their thinking. The overall purpose of this multi-site research study was to implement a debriefing strategy to determine its impact on clinical reasoning skills with undergraduate nursing students across four different colleges/universities of nursing.  

Methods:  This study replicates Dreifuerst’s original study using a reflective debriefing model to enhance clinical reasoning.  This presentation will provide an overview of 1) the standardized geriatric nursing simulation using the National League for Nursing’s (NLN) Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES) Millie Larsen geriatric simulation scenario; 2) the Debriefing for Meaningful Learning© (DML) method; and 3) the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) used to evaluate clinical reasoning and Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH) Student Version© used to evaluate the debriefing methodology.  

Results: The Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) scores between pre-test and post-test demonstrated a positive change in clinical reasoning skills with use of the DML debriefing model.  

Conclusion:  Educators will be able to discuss the simulation strategy, debriefing method, and clinical reasoning evaluation tool following an observation of a simulation scenario used in the multi-site study.