Enhancing Nursing Knowledge Using High-Fidelity Simulation

The use of high-fidelity simulation as an accepted substitute for traditional clinical learning experiences in nursing education has gained acceptance over the past decade, as evidenced by the California Board of Registered Nursing now allowing up to 25% of student clinical learning to occur in simulation laboratories. However, little research evidence has documented the efficacy of these simulated learning experiences, particularly on objective outcomes such as examination performance. Therefore, this study examined the effects of high-fidelity simulation participation on knowledge acquisition in 104 undergraduate nursing students. Students who participated in high-fidelity simulation scenarios scored significantly higher on examinations than students who did not. These findings provide beginning evidence that high-fidelity simulation can be an effective substitute for traditional clinical experience. More importantly, the findings may help boards of nursing more effectively regulate the use of high-fidelity simulation in the future.