The use of simulation to improve non-technical skills in undergraduate nurse education: A scoping review

Aim: This scoping review aim was to identify evidence about the use of simulation to improve nursing students' non-technical skills in undergraduate curricula. Background: Simulation in nurse education is rapidly advancing in non-technical skills. Evidence for the use of simulation in improving non-technical skills remains unclear. Methods: The scoping review used procedures guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Searching was undertaken through six databases. After title, abstract and full text review, 47 papers meeting the inclusion criteria were identified for analysis and synthesis. Results: The most frequently researched non-technical skills taught using simulation were communication and teamwork, with the most modalities being simulated patients or manikins. Few studies reported the use of evidence-based frameworks for simulation design. Forty-five studies evaluated student learning outcomes. Conclusion: Communication and teamwork were highly reported aspects of non-technical skills development using simulation. Studies evaluated students' improvement in performance and understanding regarding the non-technical skills as well as their experiences of the simulation however, the effect of the simulation intervention was not always clear.