Understanding Transfer of Learning and Skill Acquisition with Simulation Using Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Students

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to: 1) determine whether nurse practitioner students who participated in simulated learning experiences with standardized patients readily transferred learning that occurred in the simulation lab into clinical practice environments, 2) describe the effects and influences that a simulation experience had on skill acquisition and clinical decision making in the clinical setting, 3) determine if students who participated in a standardized patient simulation experience had increased growth in self-efficacy as providers. Significance: The thought that simulation assists nurse practitioner students to acquire competencies more reliably and produces reliable transfer to the clinical setting is theoretical. This study expands research previously conducted in the area of simulation with standardized patients to the nurse practitioner curriculum. Methods: Fourteen acute care nurse practitioner students were observed in the simulation setting and in the clinical setting, and they evaluated their perceived self-efficacy at three points during the study. Students completed an open-ended questionnaire that assessed whether and how the standardized patient experience affected their learning. The research instrumentation that was used was developed by the researcher and reviewed by an expert panel of nursing faculty for content validity. The entire study was pilot tested. Analysis: Student competence in the simulation lab (video-taped for observation) and in the clinical setting (direct observation) will be summarized using descriptive statistics and repeated measures. Self-efficacy will be reported in an analogous manner. Student responses to open-ended questionnaire will be evaluated by traditional thematic analysis. Findings: The data collection is complete and the findings of the study are being analyzed. Results will be available by the time of the conference. Implications: The results can provide guidance for program directors and faculty administrators and instructors regarding appropriateness, accuracy and acceptability of this type of simulation experience in nurse practitioner education. In addition, the results can contribute to the understanding of effective instructional methods.