Experiences of 4th Year Nursing Students With Human Simulators in Their Transition to Practice

The study explores the experiences of 4th year undergraduate nursing students using standardized patient (SP) methodology as a form of experiential education (EE) in their transition to practice.  Given that the nature of nurses’ work takes place in diverse and complex care settings, the use and application of SP Methodology is essential in the transition to practice. Although SPs have been used in many disciplines to engage students in experiential learning it is a novice methodology in nursing education. Given the limited research studies associated with SP methodology in nursing education, my aim is to explore undergraduate nursing students’ experience of this form of simulation and how it could be best applied  within a teaching learning milieu. Gaining both evidence and understanding of how this form of pedagogical methodology benefits nurse educators and students are a motivating factor. In this study the use of SP simulation functions as a learning tool by providing participants with a realistic clinical environment that explores the character and personality they are interacting with. This exposes participants to be both actively involved in self-assessment and obtain sustainable formative feedback. Findings will facilitate an understanding of critical emotional competencies including communication and interpersonal skills, conflict and leadership skills and physical examination and interviewing skills which are empirically linked to effective performance in nursing education and practice.Given that the utilization of simulation has been shown to enhance both the application and transfer of knowledge and skills, SP methodology is one form of simulation that is gaining popularity in the health care disciplines.  The use of SPs has shown to contribute to the systemic development of EE by providing novice health care providers with the opportunity to learn in safe, risk free environment offering faculty the flexibility to provide students with realistic clinical situations that often do not match the textbook portrayal and more specifically with the kind of experiences that cannot be duplicated in real clinical settings. The advantages of using SP allows for repeatability, developing communication and interviewing skills in a safe environment and immediacy where the SP provides the learner with feedback on professional mannerism, attitude and interpersonal skills. Moreover, feedback is immediate and from the patient’s point of view how the encounter felt. The use of SP methodology may illustrate how this learning tool supports the application of clinical judgment and clinical decision-making skills, which are required to successfully write and pass the national registration exam and an imperative component of the College of Nurses entry to practice competencies.This study is guided by the central research question: What are 4th year undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of SP methodology as a form of experiential education in their transition to practice? Understanding the answers to this question are fundamental to both the successful education of future nurses and the nursing profession; particularly in the area of developing communication and interpersonal skills, which are a key to every nurse patient, encounter.  Given that this is a pilot study, three undergraduate nursing students in their forth year of study were recruited through a purposive sample. Each participant interacts with two SPs. The research design includesa qualitative exploratory study and data wa collected from each participant using video recorded observation and participant interviews using the case study design.  The interviews, although open-ended, were structured around the research question. The study include s two phases.  The first phase involved hiring and training two SPs. The second phase involved both recruiting participants, collecting and analyzing the data of their experiences and interactions with the SPs. Each of the two SPs were trained to play the role of a patient within different clinical settings. Data analysis involved a detailed case study write-up for each participant, categorizing interview questions and answers and examine the data for within-group similarities and differences.