(29) Utilizing Simulation to Increase Prioritization and Delegation Skills in BSN Students

Background: Challenges faced by new Registered Nurses include prioritizing care, developing clinical judgment and delegating tasks. These areas represent significant areas of concern in nursing education and future practice. The NCSBN (2022) has identified that prioritization and delegation are key elements of safe and effective patient care (NCSBN, 2023). Ross, et al. (2022) found that novice nurses are often overwhelmed and unprepared for professional practice in several areas including communication, prioritization, delegation and care of multiple patients and that simulation helps to increase student confidence.
Initiative: To address this gap in professional readiness in prioritization and delegation (P&D) of care, a tabletop simulation was developed. This simulation focused on P&D of the care of multiple patients. Each scenario included planned interruptions allowing students to use professional judgement to determine the next steps. Senior BSN students were chosen to pilot these simulations. These students have been taught strategies in P&D throughout previous coursework and completed 600 clinical hours but have not applied these concepts in a structured way.
Outcome: Following this simulation, the students commented they felt the activity was valuable and should be included before preceptorship. Students also suggested to expand the complexity of these simulations for future classes. Post simulation Set M data showed that students (n=12) rated this activity a 4.8 out of 5.

Conclusion: Incorporating more practical training and simulation exercises into nursing education increases the skills of newly graduating BSNs in the areas of prioritization, delegation and clinical judgment.