Perception, beliefs and attitudes towards simulation-based learning in healthcare students: A scoping review

Abstract

In recent years, competency-based education has been used as an innovative way of teaching to better prepare university students for their profession. One of the methods used within competency-based education are simulations. This scoping review aims to answer the following research questions: “How do healthcare students perceive simulation-based learning?” and “Which simulation types and modalities are used in simulation-based medical education and how is their perception studied?” We searched Scopus, the Web of Science, MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO/PsyARTICLES by EBSCO Host and the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) for relevant literature for our data synthesis. We also used repositories of grey literature to search for doctoral theses. The data extraction followed the methodology for scoping reviews designed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The data analysis included 126 research papers and 6 doctoral theses. The most frequent subject of the studies included in this review were nursing students. Over half of the studies used a quantitative methodology and the majority of them focused on variations of high-fidelity simulations. The descriptive qualitative content analysis and open coding generated the following themes: mock reality, I am a professional, being part of a team and barriers. Healthcare students perceive a wide range of aspects of simulation-based learning, such as the physical environment, level of fidelity, learning process, emotions and awareness of self as a professional. Findings about the ways students perceive and view simulation-based learning can help in the process of designing and revising the curricula at medical schools that use simulations.