Lebanese and Saudi Nursing Students' Self-Confidence, Satisfaction, and Clinical Judgment in a High-Fidelity Simulation

Abstract

Objective: This study aims at evaluating Lebanese and Saudi nursing students' self-confidence, satisfaction, and clinical judgment in a high-fidelity simulation. Background: High fidelity simulation is an increasingly popular academic application gaining more corroboration in nursing curricula over the years. To prepare highly qualified nurses with refined clinical judgement skills, high fidelity simulation presents a promising academic technique. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional research methodology was used to recruit 673 Lebanese and Saudi nursing students from various academic levels for this investigation. Three questionnaires were used: a sociodemographic survey, the student satisfaction and self-confidence in learning questionnaire (13 items) and the Lasater clinical judgment rubric (11 items in 4 components). A convenience sample of 673 nursing students from all academic levels, genders and ages at two universities, one in Lebanon and one in Saudi Arabia, which both offer a similar 4 year nursing curriculum and include high fidelity simulation into their courses, was recruited. The sample was calculated based on a population of 891 nursing students, thus yielding a need for 269 students for a confidence interval of 95%, which makes the 673 students in the sample sufficient. Results: Students who participated in simulation-based learning reported fairly high levels of learning satisfaction (p=0.00), self-confidence (p=0.00), and clinical judgment (p=0.03), with Lebanese students scoring better overall. In the case of satisfaction (p=0.00) and self-confidence (p=0.00) as predictors of clinical judgment, there was a strong connection between the variables. Conclusion: Nursing students from Lebanon and Saudi Arabia who participated in simulation-based learning activities showed high levels of satisfaction, self-confidence, and clinical judgment.