VitalSim vs. SimMan: Comparing BSN Student Learning and Satisfaction Outcomes

The costs of the manikins, and the time, manpower, training and maintenance required to sustain them are high and should be weighed against meaningful and measurable student learning outcomes. Few studies have addressed the question of how much fidelity is actually needed to impact measurable learning outcomes. Exam grades stand in partial proxy for competence in undergraduate nursing education and serve as one quantifiable measure of learning. The study compared pretest posttest scores between three groups of medical surgical nursing students (n=103): • a medium fidelity (VitalSim®) simulation group, • a high fidelity (SimMan®) simulation group, • and those receiving a traditional lecture only. Methods