Effects of cooperative learning and situational simulation on nursing competence in clinical practice among nursing students

Background: Appropriate cooperative learning and situational simulation designs can enhance mental health and nursing competence in clinical practice. This approach is crucial for cultivating the clinical nursing competence of nursing students. Aim: To determine the effect of combining cooperative learning and situational simulation on nursing competence in clinical practice. Design: A quasi-experimental study. Setting and participants: This study was conducted with 142 s-year students in the nursing department of a university in Taiwan. Methods: The experimental group received cooperative learning combined with situational simulation methods, while the control group used only cooperative learning methods. Data were collected using the Clinical Practice Stress Scale and the Fundamental Nursing Competence Scale. Percentiles and frequency distributions were used to analyze the data, and independent t-tests were conducted to compare differences between the groups. Results: There were no significant differences in descriptive characteristics between the groups (p > .05). Post-test measurements of nursing technical performance, total score on the fundamental nursing competence scale and six sub-dimensional scores of the students in the experimental group were significantly improved compared to the control group (p < .001). However, there were no significant differences in total clinical practice stress scale scores between the groups (p > .05). Interestingly, the knowledge score of the control group was significantly higher than that of the experimental group (p < .05). Conclusion: The combined methods of cooperative learning and situational simulation have been shown to positively impact students' academic and nursing technical performance. The results indicate improvements in nursing competence in clinical practice, with signs of a reduction in clinical practice-related stress. Nurse educators can apply these strategies in clinical nursing education to achieve better outcomes.