Outcomes of clinical simulation for novice nursing students: communication, confidence, clinical judgment.

The use of clinical simulation in nursing education provides many opportunities for students to learn and apply theoretical principles of nursing care in a safe environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate simulated clinical experiences as a teaching/learning method to increase the self-efficacy of nursing students during their initial clinical course in a prelicensure program. An integrated, quasi-experimental, repeated measures design was used. A sample of 112 students completed surveys, indicating their confidence in various skills necessary for postpartum and newborn nursing, both before and after the simulation experience. Results indicated that students experienced a significant increase in overall self-efficacy (p < .01). Students also experienced an increase in confidence in assessing vital signs (p < .01), breasts (p < .01), the fundus (p < .001), and lochia (p < .001), and in providing patient education (p < .001). Three themes that emerged in the qualitative results were communication, confidence, and clinical judgment.