The efficacy of simulation-based and peer-learning handover training for new graduate nurses

Nursing handovers are a crucial nursing practice for patient safety and continuity of nursing care. As a strategy to improve nursing handovers, it has been suggested that new graduate nurses receive training in how to conduct handovers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of simulation-based handover training and peer-learning handover training on clinical competence regarding handovers and clinical judgment among new graduate nurses. Quasi-experimental research using a nonequivalent control group post-test design. A convenience sample of 55 new graduate nurses with no clinical experience who expected to work at a university hospital were selected. We measured participants' clinical competence regarding handovers and clinical judgment immediately after completing a training program and after 1 month of working at a hospital to examine the immediate and latent effects of simulation-based and peer-learning handover training, respectively. A researcher-developed clinical competence instrument regarding handovers and a clinical judgment instrument based on the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric were used. To identify differences in the effects of simulation-based and peer-learning handover training, we analyzed the data using the independent t-test and paired t-test. When evaluating the latent effects, the participants wrote self-reflection reports. There were no significant differences in the immediate effects of the simulation-based training and the peer-learning training. In contrast, in the evaluation of the latent effects, new graduate nurses who received simulation-based training showed significantly higher clinical competence regarding handovers (p = .020) and clinical judgment (p = .033) than their counterparts who received peer-learning training. In the self-reflection reports, 19 participants stated that they had gained more confidence with handovers. We suggest that simulation-based handover training contributes more to the improvement of new graduate nurses' clinical competence regarding handovers and clinical judgment than peer-learning training.