Investigating the Effect of Training With the Method of Simulation on the Knowledge and Performance of Nursing Students in the Pre-Hospital Triage

Background: Triage is the key for success in management of large numbers of injured and limited resources, and without preparedness of nurses to would seem an impossible task. This study has been conducted with the aim of determining the effect of training through the method of simulation on the knowledge and performance of nursing students in carrying out the pre-hospital triage. Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted on 70 students of nursing who were selected based on the study inclusion criteria and through the randomized sampling method. The researcher tools included "triage test having 10 questions of four options each and practical test including examining the correct performance of triage based on START criteria by using 10 designed simulated mockup models and based on the injury received by the victim and the level of injury". The validity of the test was verified through the formal and content validity method, and the reliability of the knowledge questionnaire based on the Cronbach-Alpha Coefficient was obtained to be equal to 0.87. After examining the level of knowledge on triage before training, the triage training workshop was held in two sessions of two hours each and through the simulation method, and again the scientific test and practical test were performed. For data analysis, the paired t-test and independent t-test were used, and the Kolmogorov Smirnov test was used to examine data normality. Data were analyzed using SPSS software-version 16. Results: The results of statistical analysis showed that the level of students knowledge significantly increased from 4.6±1.94 before training to 7.40±1.35 after training. Their performance significantly increased from 4.90±1.6 to 8.30±1.5. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that training with the simulation method on mockup model was effective on the preparedness of nurses for triage when accidents and emergencies occur. It was also found that training improves their preparedness in this regard. It is recommended that for better preparedness of nurses in triage in case of accidents and medical emergencies, this training method should be used.