Simulation Sequencing in Nursing Education and Its Impact on Student Learning Outcomes: A Scoping Review.

Background: Simulation is commonly used as a teaching modality to replace in-hospital clinical practice. Standards for simulated patient encounters have been developed; however, the sequencing of simulation experiences has not been well-established. Sequencing purposefully manipulates the order of nursing content delivery including didactic, simulation, and clinical practice. Limited supportive research has prevented the development of sequencing standards that may improve student learning.

Purpose: To determine what is known about simulation sequencing in nursing education and if sequencing impacts learning.

Methods: Using Arksey and O'Malley's framework, PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, and ERIC databases were systematically searched for relevant articles.

Results: The initial search yielded 184 articles. After removing duplicates and articles not meeting inclusion criteria, 5 articles were retained for review.

Conclusions: Standards are established for building, conducting, and evaluating simulations. Current literature does not provide specific recommendations for sequencing simulations. Therefore, the sequencing of didactic and simulation is the logical next step in developing the science of simulation.