Opinion of nursing undergraduates on the use of simulation as a teaching strategy

Abstract

Simulation has been increasingly used as a teaching strategy because it resulted in significant learning, met the objectives of problem-based pedagogy and focused on teaching skills. It also promoted the safety of patients and protected them from unsafe procedures. From this perspective, was made a descriptive study using a quantitative approach, with the aim was to elicit the opinion of a group of students on the use of simulation as a teaching strategy. The research was conducted in a nursing program at a private university in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in September 2012 according to research ethical guidelines. The data were collected with 26 undergraduate students who, after providing informed consent, completed a questionnaire with questions regarding the sample characteristics, and a perception scale related to personal satisfaction, aims, levels of scenarios and learning through using simulation. Data were categorized and the results showed that the greatest impact upon learning through simulation involved the promotion of patient safety, satisfaction during the teaching-learning process and tailoring of the complexity of the scenarios. In conclusion, the students' satisfaction and self-confidence in relation to learning through simulation demonstrate its effectiveness in the educational process.