title: Learning nursing procedures: the influence of simulator fidelity and student gender on teaching effectiveness.
abstract: Simulation technologies are gaining widespread acceptance across a variety of educational domains and applications. The current research examines whether basic nursing procedure training with high-fidelity versus low-fidelity mannequins results in differential skill acquisition and perceptions of simulator utility. Fifty-two first-year students were taught nasogastric tube and indwelling urinary catheter insertion in one of two ways. The first group learned nasogastric tube and urinary catheter insertion using high-fidelity and low-fidelity mannequins, respectively, and the second group learned nasogastric tube and urinary catheter insertion using low-fidelity and high-fidelity mannequins, respectively. The dependent measures included student performance on nasogastric tube and urinary catheter insertion testing, as measured by observer-based instruments, and self-report questionnaires probing student attitudes about the use of simulation in nursing education. Results demonstrated higher performance with high-fidelity than with low-fidelity mannequin training. In response to a self-report posttraining questionnaire, participants expressed a more positive attitude toward the high-fidelity mannequin, especially regarding its responsiveness and realism.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Pennsylvania15904, USA. jgrady@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Janet L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Grady
authors.forename: Rosemary G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Kehrer
authors.forename: Carole E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Trusty
authors.forename: Eileen B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Entin
authors.forename: Elliot E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Entin
authors.forename: Tad T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Brunye
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D018961:Educational Technology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000451:nursing; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D015588:Observer Variation; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012737:Sex Factors; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000451:nursing; D014584:User-Computer Interface