Construction and practice of a comprehensive nursing skills course with simulation in an RN-BSN program in China: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND: Simulation has been widely used in the teaching of pre-licensed nursing students and has shown positive results. However, there is limited evidence regarding the application of a comprehensive nursing course with simulation for Associated Degree in Nursing (ADN)-prepared nurses with different work experience times. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the satisfaction, self-confidence, and perceptions of scenario simulation among Chinese nurses in a comprehensive nursing skills course in an RN-BSN program. METHODS: A single-group post-test approach was used in the current study. Participants that completed a comprehensive nursing skills course with simulation in an RN-BSN program were enrolled. RESULTS: The mean satisfaction, self-confidence, educational practice, and simulation designs scores were rated highly. Self-confidence (p = 0.002), active learning (p = 0.020), collaboration (p = 0.030), support (p = 0.008), and problem-solving (p = 0.007) were significantly higher among students with more work experience compared to those with less experience. Then, four themes were analyzed: enthusiasm for learning, ability to experience different feelings during role-play, hybrid teaching format, and simulation fidelity. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrated that a comprehensive nursing skills course with simulation might improve Chinese ADN-prepared nurses’ satisfaction and self-confidence in learning. Nurses with work experience gave a high rate to the scenario simulation, demonstrating that simulation can be widely applicable for students with different characteristics. Finally, the teaching strategy in the present study can be applied to more RN-BSN programs.