The Washington State University College of Nursing says it is one of 10 schools chosen by a national council to participate in a "landmark" study of simulation use in pre-licensure nursing programs.

The study, sponsored by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, last month began monitoring the clinical performance of incoming WSU nursing students from their first day of nursing school through graduation, into their first year of practice.

The study aims to highlight currently known best practices in simulation use, and to evaluate the learning occurring when various amounts of simulation are substituted for time spent in direct patient care settings. It also expects to establish key simulation standards and learning experiences in each core clinical course during the study, and to evaluate new graduates' ability to translate educational experiences into the workplace.

To achieve these objectives, students from each of the 10 study sites will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a group where up to 10, 25, or 50 percent of the time normally spent at clinical sites will be spent in simulation.

"Being selected to participate in this study is an honor," says Cindy Fitzgerald, lead investigator and assistant professor at the college. "Simulation is the most up-and-coming tool in teaching nursing skills, but we are still learning how to best educate our students using it. This study will change how nursing is taught nationwide."

NCSBN will monitor students from five associate degree nursing programs and five baccalaureate degree nursing programs throughout the U.S. A study team from each site will manage the NCSBN simulation study. Faculty serving on the WSU study team are Kevin Stevens (leader), Teresa Barenz, Sue Weeks, Linda Rahn, Kim Ligon, and Laura Wintersteen-Arleth.

Study teams will monitor students weekly, upon completion of each clinical course, after one year in the nursing program, upon graduation, and one year post-graduation. The research gathered by the study teams will be reported to NCSBN, which will assess nursing knowledge and competencies, examine and compare clinical and simulation experiences, and evaluate student satisfaction with the education they received. The follow-up of graduates into their first year of practice will focus on retention of new nurses and clinical judgment after graduation. This information hasn't been observed in previous simulation studies.

Dr. Suzie Kardong-Edgren, an assistant professor at the college who is touted as an international expert on the pedagogy of clinical simulation, serves as one of two consultants planning and evaluating the study with the NCSBN. She says she's honored to have WSU participate in the research.

"This study will provide evidence for boards of nursing around the U.S. with evidence to support decisions made about the use of simulation as a substitute for time in clinical," Kardong-Edgren says.

The WSU College of Nursing educates more than 1,000 students each year. WSU offers nursing degrees at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels at three campuses across the state.