Featured Article
The Importance of Debriefing in Clinical Simulations

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2008.06.006Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

This education-focused research project evaluated the benefit of a structured debriefing session on students' learning after the students completed three pediatric-based clinical simulations.

Method

Eleven students participated in this study, in which their performance was videotaped during each simulation. They received a verbal debriefing at the conclusion of each clinical simulation and then received a structured debriefing session involving a review of the videotape during a qualitative focus group interview.

Results and Conclusions

Descriptive findings from the discussion of the debriefing session suggest that students have a strong need for debriefing immediately following the conclusion of each simulation to help them decompress and integrate the experience into their knowledge base.

Section snippets

Method

Following institutional review board approval, 11 senior-level students concurrently enrolled in a pediatric clinical course and its corresponding pediatric theory course consented to participate in the study. Prior to consenting to participate, students were informed that if they participated in the study, they would receive oral debriefing at the conclusion of each simulation, which is a standard component of each simulation, and would also have their performance videotaped during each

Results

Content analysis of students' comments while watching their performance on the videotape during the focus groups suggested that students experienced stress and felt too intimidated to perform spontaneously in the presence of faculty during the simulations. On review of their performance, students stated that it appeared as if they were not doing anything or did not seem to know what they were doing. Content analysis also revealed three critical components that influenced students' learning

Discussion

The analyses of these qualitative findings have provided an initial step in understanding students' immediate perceptions about the differences in modes of debriefing. However, these results should be considered beginning results; further exploration in future studies is needed to provide a more complete understanding of this phenomenon. As anticipated, debriefing was a critical component that influenced students' learning though participation in the simulations. Students' comments during the

Implications for Nurse Educators

For nurse educators involved in clinical simulations, this study's findings suggest they need to be aware that students' overall satisfaction and learning outcomes are dependent on faculty's direction during the simulation as well as feedback and analysis at the completion of each simulation. Students described without hesitancy their need for direction and assistance during the simulation as well as debriefing at its conclusion to help them decompress and emphasized the importance of these

Conclusion

Clinical simulation as a teaching–learning strategy in nursing education continues to be refined and expanded. As noted in published literature and validated by the findings in this study, debriefing is crucial to the teaching–learning process in clinical simulations and highly valued by students. Debriefing's role in clinical simulation requires further exploration. Of importance for further investigation is the nature of the feedback and the interactions among and between faculty and students

References (18)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (137)

View all citing articles on Scopus

Cite this article:

Cantrell, M. A. (2008, July). The importance of debriefing in clinical simulations. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 4(2). doi: 10.1016/j.ecns.2008.06.006

View full text