Aim

This study aimed to explore how new graduated nurses experience a one-day simulation based education, contributing to providing care in acute situations two months after completion.

Background

Simulation-based education is often offered to new graduated nurses as part of important workplace learning. Simulation-based education is a valid learning and teaching strategy and is suggested as a measure to improve nurses’ ability in acute situations. However, studies are often conducted as pre-post evaluations immediately after completion of a simulation. Thus, knowledge of the clinical impact of simulation-based education on actual acute care situations could benefit both research and practice.

Design/method

During the winter of 2021–2022, 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with newly graduated nurses two months after they completed the simulation-based education and the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

The results are presented in three themes: a structured and shared strategy to handle acute situations, a developed role in acute situations and a more comprehensive understanding of acute situations. The results revealed that simulation-based education can contribute to the ability to care in acute situations in terms of action readiness and broad contextual understanding.

Conclusion

Simulation-based education can help develop the ability to care for patients in acute situations. However, differences in participant experiences must be acknowledged and processed in order for the implementation and outcome to be successful.