Best Practice Recommendations for Debriefing in Simulation-Based Education for Australian Undergraduate Nursing Students: An Integrative Review

Background: An integral and possibly the most important component of the simulation-based learning is the debriefing process. It is desirable to then examine the literature to determine best practice guidelines. Method: This integrative literature review searched several relevant online databases including Joanna Briggs Institute, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Psych Info, Science Direct, ProQuest, Ovid, and Web of Science. Libsearch, Google Scholar, and Google were also searched to capture relevant literature and research. As a systematic reviewof randomized control studies already existed in Joanna Briggs Institute (2012), it was decided to include that study and limit the search to only those articles published after 2012. Results: There were eight predominant themes that emerged from the literature reviewed regarding the best practice guidelines for debrief phase in simulation-based education: (a) types of debriefing (video assisted and facilitator only), (b) debrief in simulation versus postsimulation, (c) environment in which the debrief takes place, (d) the person who should facilitate the debrief, (e) assessment and training of the person who debriefs, (f) identification of the learning outcomes, (g) method of debrief, and (h) structure of the debrief. Conclusion: Following an extensive literature review, it was established that there were eight best practice recommendations to facilitate the debrief process. The integrative review strongly suggested that a safe, structured debrief following the simulation immersion is aligned to best practice. Best practice in simulation is conducive to promoting clinical psychomotor skills and knowledge. (C) 2016 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.