This study was conducted to examine the effects of the simulation education integrated with problem based learning (SIM-PBL) on clinical competency, self efficacy, and problem solving process for children after appendectomy. This study was a quasi-exp...
This study was conducted to examine the effects of the simulation education integrated with problem based learning (SIM-PBL) on clinical competency, self efficacy, and problem solving process for children after appendectomy. This study was a quasi-experimental design. Thirty six students of the third grade in a 4-year bachelor nursing program were recruited conveniently and assigned to the control and the experimental groups using time difference. Students were all in pediatric nursing clinical practicum. The control group received a regular clinical practicum in a hospital setting. For the intervention group, a 2-hour SIM-PBL education replaced 2 hour of their clinical practicum. The SIM-PBL education included problem based learning, skill training, simulation, and debriefing. The experimental group showed significantly higher improvement of clinical competency(t=3.08, p=.004) compared with the control group. However, no differences of improvement of self-efficacy(t=1.78, p=.004) and problem solving(t=0.05, p=.961) was noted between two groups.
The results indicate that a SIM-PBL education was effective in improving clinical competence, but not self-efficacy and problem solving ability of nursing students in pediatric clinical practicum. Further study is needed to develop the SIM-PBL program with various clinical topics and evaluate their effectiveness on more legitimate learning outcomes.
Key words: Simulation, problem based learning, clinical competence, self efficacy, problem solving ability