The Effects of High Fidelity Simulation on Associate Degree Nursing Students Perceived Self-Efficacy and Perceived Practice Readiness

Nursing educators are increasingly utilizing high-fidelity simulation to provide realistic educational experiences to prepare students to enter the workforce. High-fidelity simulation is utilized with the belief when students encounter real-life patients they will be more confident in their ability to care for them. This quantitative study examined the effects of high-fidelity simulation on senior nursing students’ perceived self-efficacy and perceived practice readiness. The sample (N=48) consisted of senior associate degree nursing students at a community college in the Southeast. The findings showed high-fidelity simulation had a positive effect on students’ perceived self-efficacy and perceived practice readiness at certain points in the study, while other times not demonstrating a positive correlation. Implications for use of simulation as a teaching strategy in nursing education and recommendations for future research were proposed.