Abstract:
Nurse education literature reflects that educators face a problem of how to provide meaningful clinical learning experiences that help undergraduate nursing students develop clinical judgment and increase self-efficacy. Many schools of nursing are incorporating high-fidelity simulation as an alternative clinical teaching strategy, yet there is little quantitative evidence to support the effectiveness of this teaching method in undergraduate nursing education, particularly regarding the development of clinical judgment. The purpose of this quasi-experimental time series design study was to explore the effectiveness of using multiple high-fidelity simulation experiences to increase perceptions of clinical judgment and self-efficacy in baccalaureate nursing students. Self-report data was collected following three different high-fidelity simulation experiences at three points in time. Data analysis revealed a statistically significant increase (p = .041) in students' perceptions of clinical judgment occurred between Time 1 and Time 3. Students' perceptions of self-efficacy also increased significantly from Time 1 to Time 3 (p = .003) and Time 2 to Time 3(p = .001). Regression analysis revealed a slight positive correlation (sig. = .003) between students' perceptions of self-efficacy and clinical judgment.
