Does the Use of Standardized Patients in Maternal-Newborn Simulation Increase Student Confidence Prior to Entering the Clinical Setting?

Purpose for the program: To evaluate strategies in nursing education simulation when teaching BSN students enrolled in a Care of the Childbearing Family course.  The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if simulation using standardized patients (SPs) improved the students’ level of confidence in their assessment and communication skills prior to entering the maternal-newborn clinical setting. 

Proposed change: To evaluate the effect of standardized patients on student confidence. Our hypothesis was that the use of standardized patients for simulation would increase student confidence in the mother-baby clinical setting. 

Implementation, outcomes and evaluation: After IRB approval was obtained, BSN nursing students participating in required simulations in a senior year childbearing family course were asked to voluntarily participate in the study. Simulation objectives were to complete a postpartum exam on the SP and a newborn assessment using a manikin. Students were asked to complete pre and post simulation self-efficacy surveys adapted from Bandura to identify changes in confidence levels. An additional survey evaluated the students’ perception of the experience of working with the standardized patient. Face validity of both survey tools was established through collaboration with faculty content experts.Thirty nine out of forty eight students participated. Results indicate a statistically significant increase in students’ self confidence in their abilities to assess the mother-baby couplet and educate the new mother. The majority of students strongly agreed that their experience with simulation and debriefing with the standardized patient improved their critical thinking skills and better prepared them to care for the newborn and postpartum client.

Implications for nursing practice: This pilot study offers strong support for the use of standardized patients in preparation for maternal-newborn clinical practice.  Further research is suggested to validate the tool with a larger sample size, and to control for course sequencing issues (previous pediatric and critical care experience) as well as variance in the style of the standardized patients. 

Keywords: Maternal-Newborn Nursing Simulation, Standardized Patients, Postpartum Newborn Assessment, Nursing Education