BACKGROUND: Evaluating the development of clinical judgment after high-fidelity simulation (HFS) scenarios is essential for nurse educators to ensure that prelicensure nursing students are meeting course and curriculum outcomes. METHOD: This qualitative, interpretive description study reviewed the reflective journals of 30 prelicensure nursing students who participated in four progressive HFS scenarios during a medical-surgical nursing course to determine their levels of clinical judgment, using Lasater's Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR). RESULTS: Within journal one, 172 comments were identified as either beginning or developing in clinical judgment, whereas 52 comments were identified as such within journal four. In journal one, 65 comments were identified as accomplished or exemplary in clinical judgment, whereas 170 comments were identified as such within journal four. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that evaluating reflective journals using the LCJR is an effective method for ensuring that course and curriculum outcomes are met after prelicensure nursing students participate in HFS scenarios. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.
BACKGROUND: Evaluating the development of clinical judgment after high-fidelity simulation (HFS) scenarios is essential for nurse educators to ensure that prelicensure nursing students are meeting course and curriculum outcomes. METHOD: This qualitative, interpretive description study reviewed the reflective journals of 30 prelicensure nursing students who participated in four progressive HFS scenarios during a medical-surgical nursing course to determine their levels of clinical judgment, using Lasater's Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR). RESULTS: Within journal one, 172 comments were identified as either beginning or developing in clinical judgment, whereas 52 comments were identified as such within journal four. In journal one, 65 comments were identified as accomplished or exemplary in clinical judgment, whereas 170 comments were identified as such within journal four. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that evaluating reflective journals using the LCJR is an effective method for ensuring that course and curriculum outcomes are met after prelicensure nursing students participate in HFS scenarios. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.