Simulation-based nurse and midwife advanced practitioner education
Exploring the potential
Advanced nurse and midwife practitioners are highly trained professionals who work autonomously and take responsibility for patient care. Despite the global recognition and evidence of the positive impact these roles have on patient experiences and patient-centred healthcare delivery, there are significant challenges in providing clinical education and exposure for advanced nurse and midwife practitioners candidates. These challenges can vary due to international differences, particularly in countries where midwifery is recognised as a separate profession from nursing.
The reported difficulties include staff shortages, competing service priorities, and the heavy workload of learning facilitators, which hinders their ability to provide adequate time, expertise, and guidance to students. Moreover, there is a lack of specific and accessible learning opportunities within the healthcare system.
To address these challenges and bridge the theory-practice gap for advanced practitioners, educators need to explore various teaching methodologies, including simulation-based education. Simulation-based education aims to create an immersive learning experience that replicates real clinical encounters in a safe environment.
While simulation-based education is widely adopted in undergraduate nurse and midwife education, its use, format, and evidence in advanced practitioner education remain underexplored. Studies conducted in North America have focused on simulation-based education in advanced practitioner programs, emphasising the need for standardisation and further research. In Europe, the implementation of simulation-based education in nursing programs varies, with some countries fully embracing it while others have limited engagement.
To shed light on the extent of simulation-based education literature, including its application to midwives as advanced practitioners, a scoping review is currently underway. The objectives of this review are to identify the existing evidence, clarify simulation-based education definitions, and describe its characteristics in advanced practice education programs. The findings of this review will guide future research endeavours and help identify gaps in simulation-based education for nurse and midwife advanced practitioners.
The scoping review protocol, Simulation-based education for nurse and midwife advanced practitioner education: scoping review protocol’ is available in the July 2023 issue of JBI Evidence Synthesis.
McTague, Karen; Smith, Valerie
JBI Evidence Synthesis 21(7):p 1453-1460, July 2023. | DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-22-00111