The Impact of Virtual Patient Simulation on the Self-Efficacy and Performance Levels of MSN Nursing Students

The relationship between experience and learning is a growing phenomenon of interest to scholars of teaching and learning. In 1938, John Dewey stated that, "all genuine education comes about through experience." Self-efficacy is the belief in one's own capabilities to produce clear levels of performance around certain tasks. Virtual patient simulations provide an opportunity for teaching and practicing clinical skills, decision-making, with the end goal that bridges clinical competencies with learning outcomes from classroom to practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in students' self-efficacy and performance of depression screening scores between students who participate in virtual patient simulations and those who participate in traditional instructional materials. This study utilized a quantitative, experimental research design methodology. The study was designed around experiential learning theory, Bandura's self-efficacy model and nursing simulation models. The findings illustrated that the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) depression screening scores were significantly higher among virtual simulation group than among the traditional lecture students. The findings also showed there are two clear outcomes from the tests on self-efficacy scores. The first was that the average self-efficacy scores rose significantly from the pre- to the post-intervention time period, regardless of the nature of the instructional method. Finally, students who participated in virtual patient simulation performed significantly better than students who participated in traditional lecture methods. The goal is that information from this study will contribute to the body of knowledge around nursing education integrating and advancing virtual patient simulation into the curriculum. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]