The effects of simulation-based education on medication administration knowledge and performance among nursing students

Background : 

Medication errors can lead to serious negative consequences. Meanwhile, reading theory books or listening to lectures away from the real environment may disrupt learning. Simulation-based learning using a virtual environment imitates real-world activities and engages learners in physical and practical activities.   The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of simulation-based education (SBE) on medication administration (MA) knowledge and performance among nursing students.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the 2018–2019 academic year using a   pretest-posttest design and a control group. The subjects included 66 nursing students of the sixth semester of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Iran university of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.. They were randomly allocated to the intervention   (n = 36) and control (n = 30) groups. Subjects in the intervention group were trained through SBE in two-hour weekly sessions for four consecutive weeks, and their conterparts in the control group received only routine traditional training.. The knowledge and performance were assessed using a researcher-made MA knowledge questionnaire and four MA performance checklists. Data were collected before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention and were analyzed using    repeated measures analysis of variance as well as  paired-samples t test, independent-samples t, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, and Fisher’s exact test in SPSS software (v. 16.0). Significance level was set at P≤ 0.05.  

There were no significant differences between the groups before intervention (P > 0.05). The mean scores of MA knowledge and performance of the intervention group  increased significantly after the intervention (P < 0.05).The mean scores of the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group in both post-tests (P < 0.05). The mean score of MA knowledge in the intervention group was 12.36±3.04 at pretest, 18.6±1.13 at the first posttest, and 18.7±1.2 at the second posttest. the mean score of MA knowledge in the control group was 12.43±2.41 at pretest, 12.66±2.39 at the first posttest, and 12.66±2.63 at the second posttest The mean scores of MA performance (Total) in the intervention group was 18.99±9.7, at the first posttest and 18.08±11.05 at the second posttest. and The mean scores of MA performance (Total) in the control group was 10.35±10.39, at the first posttest and 11.35±10.66 at the second posttest.

SBE is effective in  improving nursing students’ MA knowledge and performance. SBE is suggested to reduce medication errors among nursing students.