Exploring Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students' Experiences and Perspectives with Cardiopulmonary High-Fidelity Simulator (Harvey) in Their Clinical Placement at Taif University in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: High-fidelity simulation (HFS) has been the cornerstone of teaching clinical skills to physiotherapy students. However, few studies have focused on evaluating students' satisfaction with HFS. Aim: This study aims to explore the satisfaction of physiotherapy students with HFS during their clinical placements at Taif University. Methods: This study employed semi-structured interviews with fourth-year physiotherapy students at Taif University. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Leicester (reference: 43079mkma2-ls:medicine), and Taif University (reference: 45-147). A purposive sampling method was used to select students for the interviews based on their satisfaction scores from the validated Satisfaction with Simulation Experience Scale (SSES) and from both genders. The interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis approach, and the SSES scale was analysed descriptively. Results: n= 46 physiotherapy students (33 female, 13 male) completed the SSES scale, with a mean score of 69 out of 90 (77%), indicating high satisfaction with their HFS experience. Of these, students agreed to participate in the follow up interviews (n=7 students). Data showed diversity of satisfaction levels in both genders (n=5 high satisfaction, 4 female, n=2 neutral, 1 male). Thematic analysis generated five themes: (i) Students' lived experiences, where students generally appreciated their experience with HFS. (ii) The benefits and effectiveness of HFS, where students reported improved clinical skills and confidence. (iii) Challenges with using HFS, including technical issues and specific limitations. (iv) factors contribute to students' positive and negative experiences in HFS. (v) Students' recommendations for using and implementing HFS in physiotherapy education. Conclusion: There is potential that HFS is a highly valued tool that may enhance physiotherapy students' learning experiences and clinical skills. Despite some challenges regarding their experience with using HFS, students reported high satisfaction scores, improved confidence and practical benefits. Further research is needed to determine if these highly satisfied scores indicate clinical performance improvement in real-world settings