Comparison of the effects of two teaching methods on the nursing students’ performance in measurement of blood pressure

BACKGROUND: New teaching methods are essential in the promotion of competence in nursing students. Measuring blood pressure, which is one of the most essential skills, is the foundation of nursing care and clinical decision-making, and students should be trained to master this skill. This study aimed to determine the impact of two teaching methods on students’ performance in blood pressure measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this semi-experimental study, 36 first-term nursing students from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were divided into six groups of six people each. The type of training for each group was determined by random draw. Blood pressure measurement training was given to three groups on a simulator and to the other three groups on human samples. Pre- and post-test evaluation of knowledge of the methods of measuring blood pressure was conducted using a researcher-made checklist and by observation of the students’ actions. The knowledge and skill scores were compared using paired and independent t-tests. RESULTS: The mean performance scores of students in simulator (19.14 ± 1.60) and human (19.64 ± 1.08) groups were not significantly different. In both methods, there was no significant difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures measured by students and by teachers (standard). Mean knowledge scores of both groups increased significantly after training compared to before training. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of the study, the two training methods (on human subjects and simulator) provide the students with the necessary ability to measure the systolic and diastolic blood pressures correctly. Therefore, to enrich the educational program of nursing students, using simulators is recommended as an effective teaching strategy to facilitate learning and for the development of students’ knowledge.