Simulation Performance and National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses Outcomes: Field Research Perspectives

Abstract

Purpose

This descriptive field study examines processes used to evaluate simulation for senior-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students in a capstone course, discusses challenges related to simulation evaluation, and reports the relationship between faculty evaluation of student performance and National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) first-time passing rates.

Methods

Researchers applied seven terms used to rank BSN student performance (n = 41, female, ages 22–24 years) in a senior-level capstone simulation. Faculty evaluation was correlated with students ‘NCLEX-RN outcomes.

Results

Students evaluated as “lacking confidence” and “flawed” were less likely to pass the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt.

Conclusions

Faculty evaluation of capstone simulation performance provided additional evidence of student preparedness for practice in the RN role, as evidenced by the relationship between the faculty assessment and NCLEX-RN success.

Implications

Simulation has been broadly accepted as a powerful educational tool that may also contribute to verification of student achievement of program outcomes and readiness for the RN role.