Perception of nursing students on simulation as a learning strategy at nursing training colleges in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

“Simulation is a teaching and learning strategy used in nursing education for the preparation of nursing students for clinical practice. The study aimed to determine the perception of nursing students on simulation as a learning strategy at nursing training colleges in Nairobi County Kenya. The following specific objectives guided the study; to assess the perception of nursing students towards simulation program; to identify how the classification of simulation affects clinical experience; to determine the perception of nursing students toward clinical experience; and to identify the benefits of simulation to nursing students on simulation as a learning strategy at nursing training colleges in Nairobi County, Kenya. Perception and experiences regarding the adoption of simulation in nursing programs and their advantages in their learning process and learning environments are not exposed. The study was guided by the theory of experiential learning, postulated by Kolb (1984). The study adopted a descriptive exploratory design in a quantitative approach. The target Population for the study was470 consisting of diploma nursing students training at medical colleges in Nairobi County. The stratified random sampling technique was used in this study and the sample size was 210 participants. The instruments were subjected to a reliability test. The pilot study also helped in validation of the instruments through amending unclear and obscure questions and discarding ineffective and non- functional questions. The study used questionnaires to collect primary data from sampled nursing students from four colleges offering nursing courses within Nairobi County. Data was analysed through descriptive (frequency, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination, analysis of variance, and model coefficients).Pearson correlation coefficient was at a significant level of 0.01. SPSS software was used to compute analysis. The findings were that integration of simulation programs, classification simulation, clinical experience as well as benefits of simulation significantly influences simulation as a learning strategy for nursing students. The findings gave an R-Square of 0.868 with the standard error of estimate being 0.128. This implies that using the composite score, integration of simulation program, classification simulation, clinical experience as well as benefits of simulation significantly influences simulation as a learning strategy for nursing students. Results also provided a p-value = 0.000 < 0.05. This further confirms that the predictors positively and significantly influence simulation as a learning strategy for nursing students. Furthermore, an increase in integration of simulation program, classification simulation, clinical experience as well as benefits of simulation by one unit led to an increase in simulation strategy by 0.502, 0.124, 0.081, and 0.236 units respectively with a p-value of <0.05 for each variable. Students therefore embrace simulation for their learning purposes. The study concluded that the integration of simulation programs, classification of simulation, clinical experience as well as benefits of simulations significantly influences simulation as a learning strategy among nursing students.The study strongly recommends that nursing educators should make simulation an integral part of their teaching for nursing students as embracing an integral approach will improve students' learning approach, formulation of a policy framework on the classification of simulation approaches, learners should know the classifications and practice them effectively. Students should practice clinical skills so as to generate experience that would yield positive results, the nursing colleges should embrace simulation learning strategy as it has a lot of benefits to learners.”