High-Fidelity Simulation (HFS) Intervention to Increase Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Knowledge, Skills Performance and Self- Efficacy (SE) Acquisition and Retention for Saudi Nursing Students: A Feasibility Explanatory Sequential Mixed Method Study

Abstract

Background As medical technologies advance and patient needs become more complex, care delivery models are undergoing transformation. An essential element for improving the learning experience is the shift from informative to transformative learning. While some countries have incorporated high-fidelity simulation (HFS) into nursing education as a contemporary teaching method, the majority of Saudi nursing schools still adhere to traditional teaching approaches.

Aim Using the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework, this study sought to identify and develop a HFS advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)-focused intervention that was piloted among final-year undergraduate Saudi nursing students to investigate the acquisition and retention of ACLS knowledge and skills performance, as well as self-efficacy (SE) gains through HFS compared to traditional teaching methods.

Methods This project utilised a sequential explanatory mixed-method design. A two-phased pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) with embedded qualitative evaluation was conducted. Phase I involved the intervention development and pilot RCT (n= 28), with participants randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. Phase II comprised an embedded qualitative component of semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample of those from the trial (n= 10). The intervention group participants had access to HFS training, whereas the control group learned through traditional teaching methods, such as PowerPoint presentations and demonstrations on a static manikin. The educational content focused on ACLS algorithms. The knowledge variable was measured at three different time points: before the simulation, immediately after, and three months later. Skills performance was assessed twice; the first simulation was conducted at the beginning of the experiment and the second simulation session was three months later. The SE variable scores were obtained at the start of the study and at the end of the quantitative phase after the second simulation session. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted to ascertain the perceptions of the intervention and control group participants towards the received styles of learning methods at the end of the study. The research was influenced by the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This, in turn, affected the study's sample size due to government restrictions, guidelines, and the personal decisions of the participants.

Results The study’s quantitative pilot RCT results showed that the ACLS knowledge exam total scores showed promising increases from baseline to acquisition (p < 0.001) and from baseline to retention (p < 0.004); however, this increase was not evident three months from acquisition for the intervention group (p = 1.000). With regard to skills performance, the intervention group’s ACLS skills acquisition mean score was trending higher (p < 0.001) than that of the control group. After three months, the mean ACLS skills retention score for the intervention group remained higher (p = 0.000) than for the control group. SE scores for the intervention group were moderately higher than for the control group (p < 0.001), showing initial evidence of a positive effect. The SE displayed a strong positive correlation with skills acquisition and a moderate positive correlation with knowledge. In the qualitative phase, students conveyed that HFS offered a more authentic and enjoyable experience, facilitating the application of theoretical knowledge to advanced cases compared to the traditional method, which is more suited to basic skills. The students perceived HFS as a valuable teaching approach that effectively addresses the sensitivity of a mixed-gender working environment and the associated cultural norms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) context. They confirmed that HFS enhanced their non-technical skills, as well as their SE in handling complex cases upon graduation. The strength of the students’ interest in integrating the HFS into the curriculum further supports the acceptability of the study. Feasibility was confirmed, as the invited students demonstrated a willingness to participate within the nursing school, there was effective communication with the heads of departments in both the nursing school and Simulation and Medical Training Centre, and the setting was prepared to accommodate a substantial number of students for a forthcoming definitive RCT. The availability of diverse materials in the simulation centre and positive perceptions of nursing students regarding the HFS intervention further support the feasibility of the study.

Conclusions The HFS intervention was well accepted and feasible with promising results regarding the final year undergraduate Saudi nursing students’ ACLS skills performance and SE. The recruitment methods and data collection procedures used in this study demonstrated feasibility for implementation in a larger, confirmatory RCT in a future definitive RCT. A sample size calculation was conducted to inform a future follow-up definitive RCT, evaluating the HFS intervention over the longer term. A major strength of the study was its adherence to the MRC framework, as well as using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist to guide detailed reporting of the intervention. A key limitation was the small sample size, constrained by COVID-19 impacts on subject availability and the power to make reliable inferences. More research is required to definitively determine the lasting impacts of high-fidelity ACLS simulation training on nursing education outcomes. Large-scale RCTs with larger samples, longitudinal examinations of skill translation into clinical environments, and multi-site tracking of trained nursing cohorts are recommended to further strengthen the evidence supporting wider curricular integration of simulations.