App-Based Clinical Simulations to Improve Nursing Students’ Decision-Making Skills

Aims: This study aimed to design and evaluate the effectiveness of application-based clinical simulation scenarios in improving nursing students’ clinical decision-making skills.Materials & Methods: This quasi-experimental, pretest–posttest study with a two-group design included ۴۲ third-semester undergraduate nursing students from Dezful University of Medical Sciences. Participants were recruited using census sampling and allocated to an intervention group (n=۲۱) or a control group (n=۲۱). Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and Lauri’s Clinical Decision-Making Questionnaire. The intervention group participated in six application-based clinical simulation scenarios developed by the researchers. The scenarios were implemented through small-group discussions in six ۳۰-minute sessions during the clinical internship. Data were analyzed using SPSS ۲۷.Findings: Among ۴۲ nursing students, the groups differed significantly at baseline in age, GPA, and marital status (all p≤۰.۰۰۵), but not in other reported characteristics. Clinical decision-making scores increased in the intervention group from ۸۰.۳۳±۱۳.۶۷ to ۸۷.۲۳±۱۳.۳۱ and decreased in the control group from ۸۵.۲۸±۱۴.۳۵ to ۸۱.۵۶±۱۰.۰۵. After adjustment for baseline scores, the between-group difference was not statistically significant (p=۰.۱۱۰). Conclusion: Mobile application–based simulated clinical scenarios shows a favorable effect on nursing students’ clinical decision-making scores after adjustment for baseline differences.

کلیدواژه ها:

Clinical Decision-Making ، Simulation Training ، mobile applications ، Students ، Nursing