A concept analysis of simulation as a learning strategy in the education of undergraduate nursing students

Simulation is increasingly referred to in the nursing literature and its use in healthcare has developed dramatically over the past decade. Whilst the concept of simulation is not new, there is now a greater emphasis on its use in nurse education (Murray et al., 2008). The purpose of this article is to develop understanding and define the concept of simulated learning as a strategy used in the education of undergraduate nursing students. The analysis outlined in this paper was guided by a systematic process of studying a concept presented by Walker and Avant (2005). The analysis sought to identify how the concept of simulation is interpreted in the existing literature printed in English and retrieved from databases (Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, and Cochrane Library), internet search engines (GoogleScholar) and hand searches. The definition offered is a work in progress and presents a theoretically grounded understanding of what simulated learning currently represents. The identified antecedents, critical attributes and consequences are presented as a basis to stimulate further research, development and understanding. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.