OUTCOMES of Clinical Simulation
for Novice Nursing Students:
Communication, Confidence, Clinical Judgment
DEBORAH BAMBINI, JOY WASHBURN, AND RONALD PERKINS
One framework that may help determine the effectiveness of clinical
simulations as a teaching/learning modality is self-efficacy. As
posited by Bandura (1977, 1986), self-efficacy is an indicator of a
person’s perception of how well she or he is prepared to successfully
accomplish a task. According to Bandura (2004), “Efficacy
beliefs influence goals and aspirations. The stronger the perceived
self-efficacy, the higher the goals people set for themselves and the
firmer their commitment to them…. Self-efficacy beliefs also
determine how obstacles and impediments are viewed…. Those of
high efficacy view impediments as surmountable by improvement
of self-management skills and perseverant effort” (p. 145).
Nursing students need the experience of confronting challenges
in the care of patients they will undoubtedly confront in real-world
health care settings. Clinical simulations that mimic the real world
with real obstacles provide a safe environment in which to learn
and apply theoretical principles of nursing care.
The component of mastering clinical skills that is missing in the
traditional skills lab setting is context. Complexities of context
require that one be able to reprioritize and change the rules.