Abstract
Objective: Nursing students face challenges as they transition to the workplace and juggle the tasks of effective communication, delegation, prioritization, and clinical judgment during stressful situations. Research has shown that simulation is one method to improve clinical decision-making skills, increase confidence, and decrease anxiety. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to measure participants’ perceptions of their levels of self-confidence and anxiety related to clinical decision-making before and after a simulation session at George Washington University (GWU). Method: 21 third-semester Accelerated BSN students enrolled in the Adult-Geriatric Nursing 2 course were recruited for this study. Participants completed the Nursing Anxiety and Self-Confidence with Clinical Decision Making (NASC-CDM ©) scale before and after a scheduled simulation session. Results: A comparison of the mean pre-simulation (n=8) and post-simulation (n=3) scores shows that there was a 13% increase in self-confidence and a 6% decrease in anxiety related to clinical decision-making after simulation. However, due to the small sample size, the results are not significant. Conclusions: This project provides observational evidence that simulation at George Washington University is an effective educational intervention to improve confidence and reduce anxiety. Further research should include how anxiety can be reduced related to the overall experience in using simulation. In addition, nurse educators should further examine ways to improve the participation of students in surveys to improve nursing education. Simulation is an adaptable teaching method and can be used to improve nursing education while ultimately achieving the main goal of improving patient outcomes.
Keywords: simulation, anxiety, confidence, nursing student, clinical decision making
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Christine Hober
Department/Program
Nursing
Submission Type
online only poster
Date
4-7-2024
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Bowman, Vivian
(2024)
"The Effect of Simulation on Self-Confidence and Anxiety Related to Clinical Decision-Making in Undergraduate BSN Students,"
SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days: Vol. 2024, Article 87.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2024/iss2024/87
