U.S. graduate nurses’ transition into practice: Perspectives on simulation-based education and cultural awareness in caring for diverse patients

Aim

This study explored graduate nurses’ (GN) perspectives of how simulation-based education (SBE) and cultural awareness in caring for diverse patients shaped their transition into practice.

Background

GNs will ultimately care for a diverse patient population. However, simulation equipment often features light-colored skin tones, limiting realistic exposure to diverse patient populations GNs will encounter in practice. Evidence remains limited on how SBE equips students to safely manage the complexities of care for patients from diverse backgrounds.

Design/method

A qualitative exploratory study was designed using individual interviews to explore GNs’ perceptions on how cultural awareness and SBE prepared them to provide safe, quality care for diverse patients. Eleven semi-structured interview questions guided the data collection. The interview data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

This study highlighted how 13 U.S. GNs’ transition into practice was shaped by cultural awareness and SBE. Four themes generated in the interviews were (1) fostering cultural awareness through diverse simulation equipment, (2) psychological safety as a facilitator for deeper learning, (3) clinical realism embedded in both content and context and (4) dedication to cultivating clinical safety. Each theme included two supporting subthemes.

Conclusion

Prioritizing psychological safety and emphasizing clinical safety in SBE reinforced the importance of delivering safe, high-quality care for a diverse patient population. Culturally inclusive equipment and diverse patient representations enhanced clinical realism and fostered GNs’ cultural awareness. Collectively, the themes generated in the interviews illustrated how SBE and cultural awareness significantly facilitated GNs’ transition into professional practice.