Reported clinical outcomes of high-fidelity simulation versus classroom-based end-of-life care education

Background:
Nursing students often experience increased anxiety, lack of clinical skills and poor coping mechanisms when dealing with death and dying for the first time.
Aims:
To design, use and assess the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation teaching versus classroom-based end-of-life care (EoLC) teaching for first-year nursing students on dealing with their first death experiences in clinical placements.
Methods:
A qualitative phenomenography approach was taken. First-year nursing students (n=187) were randomly allocated to receive either classrtoom-based (n=139) or high-fidelity simulation-based EoLC teaching (n=48). When all participants had returned from their first clinical placement, 12 individual in-depth interviews were carried out. Data were analysed using framework analysis.
Results:
Comparative data analysis revealed four key themes as clinical outcomes: recognising death and dying; knowledge into practice; preparedness for clinical eventualities; and emotional preparedness.
Conclusions:
Despite the fact that both strategies improved students' knowledge of EoLC, simulation-based EoLC education was perceived as better in terms of enhanced practical skills and improved emotional experience in their first clinical placement.