by Megan Isherwood, Senior Policy Officer.
This blog will explore the significant impact of the ‘Simulation in Nursing Education: An Evidence Base for the Future’ report published in January 2024, which has generated considerable interest within the healthcare education community and beyond. We will discuss the next steps for this work, highlighting the growing momentum of the Council of Deans of Health’s Simulation Reference Group- a dedicated forum for healthcare academics committed to advancing this important agenda.
In January 2024, we published the ‘Simulation in Nursing Education: An Evidence Base for the Future’ report. Compiled by a pioneering team of researchers (Dr Naim Abdulmohdi, Dr Louise Prothero, Dr Siân Shaw and Professor Catherine Meads) at Anglia Ruskin University led by Dr Mary Edmonds, this comprehensive study explored emerging simulated and technology-enhanced learning approaches and their alignment with the NMC’s Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency. The findings highlighted the transformative potential of simulation in revolutionising nursing education.
A rigorous systematic review demonstrated that simulation-based education (SBE) can be more effective than traditional clinical education in improving student knowledge, clinical judgement, critical thinking and clinical competencies. Feedback from students and supervisors demonstrated that they find SBE demanding due to the intensity of scenarios and scope of learning but value the opportunity to practice a diverse range of clinical skills and decision-making in a safe, controlled environment where mistakes can be corrected without risk to patients. Nevertheless, the cost and resource intensity of developing and delivering SBE is a key challenge for universities, emphasising the vital role of investment in equipment, technology and staff training, and leadership support to ensure its sustainability. The report identified opportunities to expand SBE in nursing programmes and beyond and highlighted the need for university and stakeholder collaboration and evaluation to maximise its impact.
The research was timely, following the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) updates to the Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Programmes in 2023, allowing up to 600 hours of the required 2300 clinical hours to be replaced by simulated practice learning (SPL). The evidence base for simulation has been further strengthened by the NMC’s (2024) evaluation of simulated practice learning in pre-registration nursing programmes. This report confirmed that SPL can offer authentic practice learning experiences, enabling students to practise and reflect on their learning in safe and supportive environments, helping to develop their confidence and competence.
We also welcomed the Nuffield Trust’s (2024) independent review of practice learning and the recognition that simulation can be an invaluable tool for supporting students build confidence and practice skills before entering real-world settings. We will continue to engage with the NMC on the role of simulation in their ongoing practice learning review.
A significant outcome of these reports was the identified need for a forum where educators could share learning, good practice and collaborate. This led to the creation of the Council of Deans of Health Simulation Reference Group, which includes education leaders from across the UK and across the nursing, midwifery and allied health professions. The group meets quarterly to discuss key challenges, opportunities and highlight good practice. The group is eager to develop close partnerships with key stakeholders and recently had representatives from NMC and the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) involved in a meeting to discuss key workstreams, priorities and collaboration opportunities.
The group will be focusing on key areas including the role of simulation in facilitating interprofessional education, building partnerships with industry partners, and supporting equality, diversity and inclusion priorities including teaching cultural humility, diversifying patient scenarios and strengthening the patient voice. Additionally, they aim to explore costing models to help address inequities in access to simulation and assess the impact of SBE on patient outcomes.
The Simulation Reference Group recently produced a briefing paper titled, Advancing Healthcare Education through Simulation-Based Education. This document showcases the transformative potential of simulation in healthcare education and outlines the challenges and recommendations for advancing its implementation.
We are excited to see the growing momentum around simulation in healthcare education and the pivotal role the Simulation Reference Group is playing in fostering collaboration, innovation and inclusivity.
If you would like to find out more about the Simulation Reference Group or have any questions, please contact our Senior Policy Officer, Megan.