Experiences of students and educators with simulated placements in allied health profession and nursing education: a qualitative systematic review

Reduced clinical placement capacity, the COVID-19 pandemic and growing training place numbers have resulted in the development of innovative placement design in healthcare education. Simulation is widely used in healthcare education; however, its use as a placement model is in its infancy. The experiences and perceptions of students and educators are important to shape simulated placements moving forward. A systematic search of the literature was conducted on eight databases to identify qualitative and mixed-methods studies exploring the experiences of students or educators in the nursing and allied health professions. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were assessed for methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. A meta-aggregative approach, in accordance with JBI guidelines for reviews of qualitative evidence, was used to synthesize the results. From the eight studies, a total of 69 findings were extracted. These were grouped into nine categories to form three synthesized findings of overall low quality. These findings were related to (1) reality of the simulated placement, (2) emotions evoked during the simulated placement, and (3) opportunities and challenges associated with implementing simulated placements. Simulated placements were considered a useful tool for the enhancement of communication skills, clinical reasoning skills, new knowledge generation, enhancing reflection and for preparation for clinical practice by students as well as educators.