It's nerve racking: The lived experiences of new graduate critical care nurses using simulation as part of an orientation program

The nursing profession has adopted high fidelity simulation (HFS) on the premise that it provides suitable opportunities for experiential learning in a non-threatening environment and it will improve clinical skills and critical thinking through repetition and reflective practice. Numerous quantitative studies have examined the effect of HFS on skill acquisition, critical thinking and teamwork, predominantly with experienced clinicians. The voice of the learner has been conspicuously absent in the discussion. The phenomenon of interest in this study was the experience of simulation for new graduate nurses. The participants were recruited using a purposive technique, and each underwent a comprehensive interview, with subsequent follow-up discussions. The van Manen method of hermeneutic phenomenology was used to describe the lived experiences of 13 new graduate nurses working in critical care and emergency departments who participated in HFS as part of an orientation program. Findings of this study identified four essential themes, from which a textual interpretive statement was crafted. The textual interpretive statement illuminates the meaning of simulation to the participants. Benner's From Novice to Expert theory was used to reflect on the experiences described in this study. The implications for nursing education and recommendations for future research are discussed.