A Simulation Pre-Brief Scaffold to Support Clinical Judgment and Independence in Clinical Judgment Decision Making

Abstract

It is essential that nurses independently assume patient care, yet new nurses lack necessary clinical judgment skills. The purpose of this study was to examine a simulation pre-brief scaffold to support nursing students’ clinical judgment development and clinical judgment independence. The pre-brief experiential learning scaffold for clinical judgment independence (PELS-CJI) framework informed simulation pre-brief in this experimental study. A convenience sample included traditional and accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing students in their senior year. Participants were randomly assigned to complete a simulation pre-brief with or without the Interactive-Video Recorded Simulation (I-VRS). Nursing student’s total clinical judgment and individual components of clinical judgment (noticing, interpreting, and responding) in simulation were measured by a single evaluator blinded to condition using the Lasater clinical judgment rubric (LCJR) (Cronbach’s alpha .932). To measure clinical judgment independence, the number of unintended conceptual cues during simulation were counted. Participants in the intervention group had higher clinical judgment scores during simulation (n = 31, M = 28.45, SD = 5.163) as compared to the control group (n = 36, M = 25.06, SD = 5.275), t(65) = -2.653, p < .01. A significant relationship for the noticing and responding subscales of clinical judgment was observed between groups, but not for the interpreting subscale. No significant difference in the number of unintended cues was found between groups. Results support that using an I-VRS in simulation pre-brief enhanced clinical judgment in simulation. The use of the I-VRS adds to the existing limited evidence related to simulation pre-brief to support clinical judgment development among undergraduate nursing students. Future research using an I-VRS during pre-brief is necessary to determine if improvement in clinical judgment is retained and transferrable to the clinical setting. Additional testing of the PELS-CJI to guide simulation pre-brief is encouraged.