The simulated clinical experience in nursing education: a historical review

Objectives: To specify the ritual of teaching basic nursing procedures, analyze the implications of their use and discuss their pertinence, in the face of the current contexts for teaching and for practice. Methods: A historical-social study of rituals incorporated in the teaching method of nursing theory-practice, in Portugal and Brazil. As primary sources, we used written documents (letters, brochures, manuals) and photographs, and as secondary sources: textbooks, master's theses, doctoral dissertations and journal articles. Results: The description, analysis, interpretation and synthesis exposed the reader to a journey through the history and rituals, and changes that have occurred in nursing and health education. The simulation was discussed in terms of its pertinence in the face of the ethical, safety and quality requirements in health care, technological advances, and changes in environments and contexts of clinical practice. Conclusion: The use of simulation meets the needs and the current context of education for theory-practice.