Snapshots of simulation: innovative strategies used by international educators to enhance simulation learning experiences for health care students

Background: Innovations in simulation in nursing and health care continue to be developed as creative and committed educators respond to challenges of providing pedagogically sound, engaging and effective learning experiences for large student cohorts. Time-pressed educators may find it difficult to network with others working in simulation-based learning, and thus, it is useful to provide summaries or snapshots to provide a brief overview of activities in various countries using simulation in a variety of ways.

Methods: The purpose of this paper is to profile a diverse range of innovative, cost-effective, and tested simulation approaches that have been implemented in healthcare programs by nursing educators from a range of countries to spark creativity. Each strategy was designed to address contemporary and critical practice issues.

Results: They facilitate immersion in authentic clinical scenarios, increase students’ awareness of cues in the environment that may compromise health and safety.

Conclusions: These snapshots of simulation prepare students for cultural or clinical realities that they may not routinely encounter because of the inherent restrictions associated with clinical placements.