The Impact of High-Fidelity Simulation and Curriculum Integration on Nursing Students' Competence and Satisfaction: A Quasiexperimental Study.

BACKGROUND

Curriculum integration and high-fidelity simulation (HFS) were used separately in nursing education. Little is known about their combined effect on undergraduate nursing students' competence.

AIM: To assess the impact of HFS and curriculum integration on nursing students' competence and satisfaction.

METHODS

A quasiexperimental study design was employed. Using convenience sampling, two groups of undergraduate nursing students were compared in their management of pregnant women undergoing normal vaginal delivery and immediate newborn care. The intervention group (n = 30) received the HFS/curriculum-integrated session, while the control group (n = 30) received the traditional curriculum. The HFS/curriculum-integrated intervention consisted of five three-hour sessions, with six students participating in each session. The intervention was conducted in the simulation laboratory of Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences in December 2023 over one week, and study data were collected two weeks after the completion of the educational intervention. Students' competence was assessed using a structured written examination and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), while satisfaction was evaluated using a self-reported questionnaire. Independent t-tests were used to examine differences in competency between the two groups.

RESULTS

Students who participated in the HFS/curriculum-integrated sessions demonstrated significantly higher performance in both written knowledge examinations and clinical skills assessments compared to the control group. Knowledge scores were higher for management of normal vaginal delivery (86% vs. 46%) and immediate newborn care (80% vs. 54%), and OSCE scores were also significantly greater for vaginal delivery management (81% vs. 50%) and immediate newborn care (95% vs. 56%) (p ≤ 0.05). Students' satisfaction with the integrated session using HFS was high (91% ± 7.6).

CONCLUSION

The use of HFS and curriculum integration significantly enhanced nursing students' competency and satisfaction levels. These findings underscore the value of incorporating HFS and curriculum integration as an effective strategy in nursing education. However, further large-scale and longitudinal studies are warranted to more comprehensively evaluate the long-term impact of HFS and curriculum integration on diverse nursing learning outcomes.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing management should facilitate the use of HFS and curriculum integration in nursing education, as this approach significantly enhances students' clinical competence while bridging the gap between theory and practice.