Peer Debriefing Versus Instructor-Led Debriefing for Nursing Simulation

Background: Debriefing is the reflective process following the simulation experience. We aimed to compare the debriefing assessment and debriefing satisfaction perceived by nursing students who underwent different debriefing methods. Method: An experimental study conducted on three groups (instructor-led debriefing, peer debriefing, and combined debriefing) was performed for 177 nursing students. Differences in the debriefing satisfaction were assessed using the Clinical Experience Simulation scale, the Visual Analogue scale, and the Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH). Results: VAS scores for satisfaction differed significantly between the instructor-led debriefing, peer debriefing, and combined debriefing groups. In the Clinical Experience Simulation scale, the combined debriefing group was significantly higher compared with instructor-led debriefing. The total score for DASH was significantly higher in the combined debriefing group compared with instructor-led debriefing, and in instructor-led debriefing compared with peer debriefing. Conclusion: Combining debriefing after a simulation session improves the debriefing satisfaction and the perceived debriefing assessment among nursing students.