The effectiveness of a simulated scenario to teach nursing students how to perform a bed bath: A randomized clinical trial

Simulation allows students to develop several skills during a bed bath that are difficult to teach only in traditional classroom lectures, such as problem-solving, student interactions with the simulator (patient), reasoning in clinical evaluations, evaluation of responses to interventions, teamwork, communication, security and privacy. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a simulated bed bath scenario on improving cognitive knowledge, practical performance and satisfaction among nursing students. Randomized controlled clinical trial. Nursing students that were in the fifth period from two educational institutions in Brazil. Nursing students (n=58). The data were collected using the assessments of cognitive knowledge, practical performance and satisfaction were made through a written test about bed baths, an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and a satisfaction questionnaire. We identified that the acquisition and assimilation of cognitive knowledge was significantly higher in the simulation group (p=0.001). The performance was similar in both groups regardless of the teaching strategy (p=0.435). At follow-up, the simulation group had significantly more satisfaction with the teaching method than the control group (p=0.007). The teaching strategy based on a simulated scenario of a bed bath proved to be effective for the acquisition of cognitive knowledge regarding bed baths in clinical practice and improved student satisfaction with the teaching process. [Display omitted] •Simulation is an active teaching strategy that aims to develop various skills in the student.•Benefit in the complete formation of the professional future in order to reduce errors in clinical practice.•This study revealed a new method of learning bed bath, which provides improvements in knowledge and student satisfaction.•For teachers a new way of teaching the bed bath, more realistic, interactive and interesting.•For patients a safe and effective care, since this was better prepared for the bed bath. In real environment, safe and controlled.