Easing student transition to graduate nurse: A SIMulated Professional Learning Environment (SIMPLE) for final year student nurses

Background: Preparing nursing students for making the transition to graduate nurse is crucial for entry into practice. Final year student nurses at the National University of Singapore (NUS) are required to undergo a consolidated clinical practice to prepare them for their transition to graduate nurse. Aim: To describe the development, implementation and evaluation of a simulation program known as SIMulated Professional Learning Environment (SIMPLE) in preparing the final year student nurses for their clinical practicum in transition to graduate nurse practice. Method: A set of simulation features and best practices were used as conceptual framework to develop and implement the simulation program. 94 final year student nurses participated in the 15-hour SIMPLE program that incorporated multiple simulation scenarios based on actual ward clinical practices. Pre and post-tests were conducted to assess the students' preparedness for their clinical practice in transition to graduate nurse practice. The students also completed a satisfaction questionnaire and open questions to evaluate their simulation experiences. Results: The student nurses demonstrated a significant improvement (t = 12.06, p < 0.01) on post-test score (mean = 117.21, SD = 15.17) from pre-test score (mean = 97.86, SD = 15.08) for their perceived preparedness towards their clinical practicum in transition to graduate nurse practice. They were highly satisfied with their simulation learning. Themes emerged from the comments on the most valuable aspects of the SIMPLE program and ways to improve the program. Conclusion: The study provided evidences on the effectiveness of the SIMPLE program in enhancing the students' preparedness for their transition to graduate nurse practice. A key success of the SIMPLE program was the used of simulation strategy and the involvement of practicing nurses that closely linked the students with the realities of current nursing practice to prepare them for the role of staff nurses. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.