Experiences and perceptions of students and faculty with clinical simulation in Uganda: an exploratory study.

Introduction: The use of clinical simulation in Uganda is still low. Experiences regarding the use of simulation in low-resource settings like Uganda have not been widely explored. We aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of students and faculty regarding simulation in teaching undergraduate students.

Materials and methods: The study was conducted at Busitema and Lira Universities in Uganda. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with the faculty staff and 10 focus group discussions with undergraduate Nursing, Midwifery, Medical and Anesthesia students. Braun and Clarke's interpretative, situated and pragmatic framework was used in sample size determination. We obtained ethical clearance for the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Findings: We identified three themes from the data:1) Variable conceptualization of simulation 2) Concerns about realism; and 3) Perceived benefits of simulation. Some viewed simulation as unrealistic, while others thought it felt like a real clinical experience. Simulation was perceived to be more idealistic because it had all the equipment for simulation which differed from the clinical settings which may sometimes lack critical equipment. Simulation was perceived to provide room for mistakes and immediate feedback, boost confidence and self-efficacy, enhance clinical competence, enhance interpersonal behavioral skills, and be more practical. It was seen to prepare students for clinical placement. Although simulation was considered readily convenient and accessible for students, concerns were raised regarding the relevance of simulation in a setting with a high volume of patients for students learning. Divergent views were expressed regarding the transferability of skills from simulation to clinical settings.

Conclusion: Students perceived simulation to be beneficial for their learning. However, concerns about the realism, relevance, and transferability of skills from simulation to clinical settings were noted. Clarifying preconceived notions against the use of simulation will enhance its utilisation in educational settings where simulation is not readily embraced.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.