Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of simulation-based education on nursing knowledge, anxiety, and clinical performance ability in nursing students before their first clinical practice. Methods: Third-year university students who had not yet entered their first clinical practice were recruited to participate in the study. Nineteen students formed the experimental group and participated in simulation-based education for 7 sessions. The 19 students in the control group were provided with clinical practice orientation in the form of traditional lectures. Outcome measures assessed nursing knowledge, clinical practice anxiety, and clinical performance ability. Data were collected before and immediately after the simulation-based education and after six weeks of clinical practice. Results: Nursing knowledge and clinical anxiety were not statistically significant between the groups. However, there was a significant improvement in the clinical performance abilities of the experimental group. Among the subcategories, the ability to apply the nursing process and the ability to educate and cooperate were shown to maintain significant differences from the control group by the end of the six weeks of clinical practice. Conclusion: The simulation prior to nursing students' first clinical practice could be useful to improve clinical performance ability. Nursing educators should consider building programs to reduce anxiety and improve performance ability through simulations.
The Relationship between Satisfaction with Clinical Practice and Clinical Performance Ability for Nursing Students
