The Use of Hospital-Based Simulation in Nursing Education—A Systematic Review

The purpose of this systematic review was to search, extract, appraise, and synthesize research related to the use of hospital-based simulation with clinical nurses. The research question that guided this study was as follows: what research related to hospital-based simulation with clinical nurses emerged in the literature between January 2012 and October 2015? The design of this review was reported in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Data sources are as follows: literature search was completed in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science using a combination of medical subject headings, or MeSH terms, as well as keywords to retrieve non-indexed citations. The inclusion criteria for this review were broad in order to disseminate information on future research needed; however, the sample had to include clinical bedside nurses, either alone or in conjunction with another professional group. The intervention had to include simulation, although no limits were made on the type of simulation. The review considered studies that described original research, but no other design restrictions were imposed. The review was limited to studies published in the English language and between January 2012 and October 2015. The database search strategy yielded 224 citations. These results were narrowed down to 65 studies based on identified inclusion criteria. More randomized controlled trials and studies with power analyses and validated measurement instruments are needed to fully understand the impact simulation has on the practicing nurses at the bedside. There is also a need to investigate the effects of simulation education on patient outcomes. •Between 2012 and April 2014, 65 national and international research studies were published that focused on nurses and hospital-based simulation.•There were a variety of research designs, settings, and topics represented. International studies comprised almost one-third of the studies.•Lacking from the literature are studies with randomized controlled designs, power analyses, and validated measurement instruments.