Attitudes and perception of baccalaureate nursing students toward educational simulation

Background: Simulation can produce highly qualified professionals, however, it can also be perceived as stressful and frustrating by the nursing students.Purposes: This study was to identify the attitudes and perceptions of Jordanian nursing students toward simulation as an educational strategy, to investigate whether certain students’ characteristics affect their attitudes and perceptions, to assess for differences in the attitudes and perceptions toward simulation between the different year levels of students, and to identify the important predictors of students’ attitudes and perceptions toward educational simulation.Method: A descriptive correlational design was used with a convenience sample of 413 Jordanian nursing students. The Arabic translated version of KidSIM ATTITUDES scale was used.Results: The total attitude score was encouraging with significant differences between first, second and third year students. Post hoc analyses showed the lowest attitude mean score occurring in the second year nursing students. Using linear regression analysis, prior experience in an ICU or CCU was the only significant predictor of the student’s attitudes and perceptions toward simulation.Conclusions and implication for practice: Reinforcing the teamwork approach during the students’ early phases of their course of study, and incorporating simulation into later phases can promote knowledge development, skill acquisition, and self-confidence. *Corresponding author: Besher Gharaibeh, Faculty of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan E-mail: [email protected]