A Scoping Review of Instruments for Measuring Problem-Solving Ability in Simulation Nursing Education in Korea: A Focus on Process Behavior Survey

Purpose: This scoping review focused on the application of simulation education for nursing college students and analyzed studies measuring problem-solving ability to present an overview of research trends and future directions. Methods: The scoping review followed the review guideline. The study was conducted independently by two reviewers, who searched the literature through electronic databases (DBpia, KISS, Science on, RISS, and Google Scholar). Results: In total, 32 studies were included in the final analysis, and each study was analyzed according to the following domains: general characteristics, simulation-related characteristics, and instrument-related characteristics. Simulation-based learning was primarily conducted for third- and fourth-year nursing students using various scenarios and high-fidelity simulators. However, the effect of simulation education on problem-solving ability was somewhat inconsistent, and some studies reported different names of tools and numbers of items by sub-area from the original instruments. Conclusion: It is necessary to critically reflect upon whether “Process Behavior Survey” tool can be used for simulation education. Therefore, conceptual analysis or instrument development research is needed in the future to accurately measure the problem-solving process or problem-solving ability.