Nursing teaching using simulators, theoretical and pedagogical considerations to design a didactic model

Abstract

Introduction: The incorporation of high-fidelity simulators in nursing teaching is an educational practice which tends to spread because it promotes the development of skills in students as well as higher ethical conditions of safety for the patient.

Development: The incorporation of these technologies offers new educational possibilities for nursing teaching, yet it is necessary to review the theoretical foundations which support pedagogical models, as well as to clarify the new roles which both teachers and students adopt for these new teaching-learning scenarios. The concept of experience learning of John Dewey and the concept of the proximal development zone of Vygotsky contribute to integrate new pedagogical models. These theoretical considerations demand that teachers develop new competences including those related to scenarios design and program execution and assessment, all of these under a learning conception which places the student at the center of the activity. However, some educational programs which have used high-fidelity simulators report that, although there were improvements in student skills and safety, sometimes these practices can be not stimulating enough due to a lack of realism.

Conclusions: The use of simulators should not be only centered on manual procedures practices but also on the generation of a learning environment which promotes the development of other skills such as communication, reflection, critical thought, decision taking, and the conception of the patient as a complex human entity.