Title: A Simulation Prebriefing Technique to Improve Learning Outcomes in Nursing Students
Description: The use of simulation has increased due to the shortage of clinical sites and nursing faculty. Patient acuity and privacy laws have contributed to the increase. Research science in simulation is established in the areas of scenario execution and with the debriefing phases. However, prebriefing is an understudied phase of the simulation. Prebriefing is the phase of simulation that prepares students for the simulation scenario with an orientation to the room, equipment, and manikin. The objectives for the simulation and patient background information are shared with students. There is a limited amount of literature on interventions in prebriefing related to improved student learning outcomes. An experimental design was used to test the hypothesis that students who viewed two videos of clinical skill demonstrations during the prebrief would demonstrate improved clinical skill performance and increased clinical competency. It was also hypothesized that students would also report decreased anxiety with increased self-confidence related to clinical decision-making during the simulation scenario.

Additionally, it was hypothesized students who demonstrated increased clinical competency, reported less anxiety and higher self-confidence related to clinical decision making would achieve higher exam scores on related content. A convenience sample of 129 Junior and Senior baccalaureate nursing students consented to participate in the research. Results of an independent samples t test showed that students in the intervention group demonstrated significantly better clinical skill performance in changing the rate on an intravenous fluid administration (p = < 0.001), and in the administration of medication via intravenous push (p = < 0.001) than students in the control group. Students in the intervention group also demonstrated increased clinical competency (p = < 0.05), assessment (p = < 0.05) and patient safety (p = < 0.05) when compared to the control group. A mixed ANOVA testing for the interaction between group and time of test was used to determine if there were group in the changes from pre to post test in anxiety, self-confidence and clinical decision-making.

The results showed no significant differences between groups. A Pearson r was used to evaluate the correlation between anxiety and quiz score; self-confidence and quiz score; CCEI-CJ, and quiz score. There was a negative nonsignificant correlation between anxiety and quiz score, r(105) = -.091, p = .358. There was a positive correlation between self-confidence and quiz score, r(105) = .204, p = .037. There was a positive nonsignificant correlation between the CCEI-CJ and quiz grade r(107) = .082, p = .400. This research study demonstrates that the prebriefing phase of simulation can be enhanced to include elements that will improve student learning outcomes.