Nursing students' perceived stress, self‐efficacy, control and evaluation of a course in systematic clinical observation, physical assessment and decision‐making: An observational study in Norway

AIM: Simulation‐based nursing education interventions have a strong educational effect on psychomotoric skills, but students may experience physiological stress and anxiety during simulation. The aims of this study were to explore (1) nursing students' perceived stress, self‐efficacy, control and evaluation before and after simulation as part a structured course in physical assessment, (2) whether factors such as gender, age or previous work experience were associated with perceived stress during simulation and (3) nursing students evaluation of the course. DESIGN: An observational, cross‐sectional study before and after simulation and a course in physical assessment. METHODS: We utilized “the Self‐Assessment Manikin for measuring emotion” before and after simulation, a questionnaire to identify symptoms of stress after simulation, and a questionnaire to evaluate the physical assessment course. RESULTS: A total of 59 students participated. Students perceived stress before simulation but reported a lower degree of activation, a more positive mood, increased feeling of control and self‐efficacy after the simulation. They also felt more secure about their assessments. Even though students reported of several symptoms of stress before simluation, the course increased students' self‐reported competence and feeling of security.