A collaborative approach to simulation development.

Background: Meeting employer expectations is a challenge for new nurse graduates and their nurse educators. Designing studies to collect specific data on hospital expectations and new nursing graduate deficiencies is needed. Sample: Hospital-based educators and preceptors (n=13) participated in one of two focus groups, to identify problem areas. Senior nursing students (n=64) participated in simulations developed from data obtained in the sessions.
Methods: Audio-recorded focus groups were conducted with the goal to identify deficiencies in new graduate nurses. Recordings were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Hospital employer expectation themes identified include attending to basic patient needs, organisational skills, anticipation of risks and consequences, higher order technical skills, communication and ownership/accountability. Two simulations for senior nursing students were developed to address identified deficiencies.
Conclusion: Developing meaningful simulations which address deficiencies prior to graduation, in collaboration with potential employers, has the potential to lower the cost of graduate nurse orientation, improve patient outcomes, provide a greater sense of readiness to the graduate nurse and ultimately meet the needs of both the student and employer. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.