| A major call for reform in clinical nursing education has prompted the use of innovative teaching technologies such as simulation. Simulation continues to be adopted by nursing education programs around the world, but gaps exist in the literature toward how simulation meets student's clinical learning needs. This hermeneutic phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of junior and senior nursing students and how the simulated clinical learning environment and traditional clinical learning environment met their clinical learning needs. Clinical learning needs were defined as the BSN program outcomes: critical thinker; culturally competent practitioner; knowledgeable care coordinator; politically aware person; conscientious practitioner (ethical and legal competence); effective communicator; competent provider of care; professional role model; and, responsible manager of human, fiscal, and material resources. Data was collected by focus group and individual interviews and results found students perceived both clinical learning environments met the majority of their clinical learning needs. Clinical learning needs not met consistently in either clinical learning environment included culturally competent practitioner; politically aware person; and responsible manager of human, fiscal, and material resources. An unexpected finding was how students perceived their learning was inhibited in both clinical learning environments. Recommendations for changes in both clinical learning environments could be gleaned from the student perceptions. |
