This study utilized a researcher-developed survey designed to determine if selected learning needs of undergraduate nursing students were perceived to have been met better in a traditional clinical environment or a simulated clinical environment. In addition, the study was designed to determine which learning needs the students believed were important to their development as registered nurses.
The need for this study was driven by the increasing use of high-fidelity human patient simulation in nursing schools across the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. State Boards of Nursing commonly are asked how much simulation can be used to replace traditional clinical experiences and several have placed percentage of time limitations on its use. It was the desire of this researcher to provide empirical data to those in decision-making positions so that informed, evidence-based decisions will follow.
The sample for this study included 422 undergraduate nursing students from three U.S. nursing schools. Each participant had received traditional and simulated clinical learning experiences. The students were asked to use a Likert-scale to denote their perceptions of how well various learning needs were met in each environment, and whether those needs were important to their development as a registered nurse.
