Using Screen-Based Simulation in Family Nurse Practitioner Education

Background

Innovations in nursing education are crucial for developing new learning approaches to ensure quality preparation and an adequate number of nurse practitioners (NPs). This necessity prompts exploration and implementation of alternative clinical educational approaches, such as screen-based simulation (SBS), to address challenges posed by limited clinical sites and preceptors.

Purpose

The study aim was to compare the effectiveness of SBS with that of traditional precepted clinical experiences in students’ attainment of mastery of knowledge in the domains of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation across the pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric populations.

Methods

A quasi-experimental, pretest/posttest design was employed. Family NP (FNP) students from two nursing schools participated, with 95 in the experimental (SBS) group and 65 in the control (traditional) group. Participants entered the study after completing their required clinical hours for certification. Over 5 weeks, the experimental group completed 70 hours of additional SBS and the control group completed 70 hours of additional traditional clinical experiences. All participants completed a demographic survey. Mastery of knowledge was measured using the Diagnostic Readiness Test (DRT), which was collected before (pretest) and after (posttest) the 5-week intervention period.

Results

No statistically significant differences were found between groups in DRT domain or population scores from pre- to posttest, except in the adolescent population, for which the control group had higher scores. There was no significant difference in the likelihood of attaining proficiency in domains or populations between the experimental and control groups at posttest.

Conclusion

SBS proved to be an effective teaching and learning approach and should be considered a viable substitute for traditional precepted clinical experiences, particularly in situations where students have limited access to quality clinical sites, preceptors, or certain populations.