Abstract:
The transition from student to practicing nurse has never been more demanding. New graduates are expected to manage complex patient assignments, delegate effectively, and make rapid prioritization decisions. These competencies are difficult to address with single-patient simulations. Multi-patient leadership nursing simulation offers a solution. By replicating the cognitive load, interruptions, and competing clinical demands of actual unit management, students develop the clinical judgement and delegation skills essential for charge nurse rolesโwithin a controlled environment where errors become learning opportunities rather than patient safety events.
This webinar presents findings from a multi-semester comparative study of senior BSN students examining multi-patient simulation against traditional inpatient leadership clinical experiences. Results indicate equivalent effectiveness for overall leadership learning outcomes, with simulation demonstrating distinct advantages: increased faculty coaching access, structured debriefing, immediate formative feedback, and consistent scenario exposure across student cohorts.
This presentation will be followed by a live demonstration where presenters will showcase the new SimVS Nurse Station, a simulation platform designed to increase scenario realism through real-time call light management, dynamic patient requests, and workflow interruptions. The system provides the structured complexity students need to progress from task-focused thinking to unit-level clinical reasoningโsupporting AACN Essentials domains in leadership, communication, and interprofessional collaboration.
Whether you are seeking alternatives to limited inpatient leadership placements or looking to strengthen pre-licensure leadership preparation, this session offers practical, evidence-informed strategies you can implement in your simulation program.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze evidence supporting multi-patient simulation for leadership competency development
- Explore technology solutions that enhance realism without increasing operational complexity
- Evaluate strategies for integrating multi-patient simulation into existing curricula with limited clinical faculty
