The effect of a repeat septic shock simulation on the knowledge and skill performance of undergraduate nursing students

Abstract

Background: Prelicensure nursing students possess minimal knowledge and skill to implement sepsis protocols effectively. This article evaluates an educational project to assess the impact of a repeat septic shock simulation on pre-licensure nursing students' knowledge and skill competency. 

Methods: A quasi-experimental, repeated measures, pre-post design strategy was used to evaluate a repeat septic shock simulation. A convenience sample of one-hundred-forty-three (N = 143) senior baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in the study. The project consisted of a septic shock didactic session, septic shock simulation with a high-fidelity mannequin, debrief, repeat simulation followed by a second debrief as a component of a complex health nursing course. Ninety-seven (n = 97) participants were randomly assigned to groups of up to five students to participate in a repeat septic shock simulation. Forty-six (n = 46) participants were randomly assigned to up to five students and served as a control group. The control group participated in all study elements except the repeat simulation.

Results: The percent change in nursing students’ knowledge scores from Pre-simulation to Post-simulation was statistically significant (p < .001). The initial and repeat simulation realized modest gains in competency scores between the initial and repeated simulation.

Conclusions: Providing concurrent experiences using a screening tool in real-time while simultaneously providing an opportunity to practice and refine clinical judgment through a repeat simulation proved effective.