The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has provided 20 million dollars in funding to Schools of Nursing in Ontario to support the use of clinical simulations, yet there is little available nursing research evaluating the outcomes of this teaching methodology.

Part of a larger study focused on evaluating simulated learning in Ontario Schools of Nursing, Phase 2 of this research project was to determine from a faculty perspective the extent to which the newly funded simulated learning environments have contributed to students’ readiness to practice, and from a faculty and student perspective the ease of use and how closely the simulated learning environments reflect reality. Contextualizing these research questions within Bloom’s taxonomy, which categorizes learning into three distinct domains – cognitive, affective and psychomotor, ensured a comprehensive evaluation in both the quantitative and qualitative components of this research.

College and university nursing programs were selected to geographically represent Southwest, Southeast, Central and Northern Ontario. Two focus groups per site, one with students and one with faculty members, were conducted. A total of 37 faculty members, each with a minimum of five years teaching experience, and 65 students, primarily from year two and three of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program but with representation from all four years, participated in the study.

Major themes that emerged from faculty responses included: Readiness to Practice – builds confidence and facilitates skill development, accelerates learning, allows for an interprofessional approach to learning, and supports collaboration and team work; Ease of Use – technical/mechanical issues, time constraints, the importance of faculty expertise and the need to integrate simulations within existing curricula; Reflects Reality: realistic, yet with some limitations in the physical features and lacking the human element.

Major themes that emerged from the focus groups with students included: Ease of Use – technical/mechanical issues, time and scheduling constraints, and the importance of faculty expertise; Reflects Reality – realistic, yet some plysical limitations and the lack of a human element – cannot ask questions or receive patient feedback; Impact on Confidence – facilitates skill development and decreases level of anxiety.

Both faculty and students were unanimous in their assessment of the simulations as effective tools which can augment practicum and better ready students for clinical work, however both focus groups felt strongly that these simulations cannot and should not be used to replace practicum time except in specific areas such as Maternal and Child where practicum placements may not be readily available.

The research findings will provide key stakeholders including nursing students, educators, practice agencies, and governmental funding bodies with valuable information about the benefits and challenges associated with the use of clinical simulation in nursing education. With the rapidly changing face of the nursing profession and the increasing demand for nursing expertise within the healthcare sector, determining new and innovative ways of effectively addressing the educational needs of current and future nursing students is imperative.