Clinical simulation for the development of communication and teamwork in nursing^*

Objective: to implement a realistic simulation scenario aimed at developing communication and teamwork skills in nursing undergraduates and analyzing its contributions during hospital internships.

Method: exploratory study conducted with 27 final-year nursing students from a higher education institution. Data were collected in 2021 using a checklist and a validated scenario centered on communication and teamwork in the hospital setting. Data collection took place in two stages: first, during the execution of the scenario/debriefing in the institution’s skills lab, and later, after the completion of the hospital internship, through semi-structured interviews. The debriefing and interviews discussions were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis.

Results: during the debriefing stage, the undergraduate students reflected on their participation in the scenario, the case resolution, and their experiences with communication and teamwork. In the interviews, the students expressed a desire to include additional academic disciplines in the simulated classes and highlighted the benefits of using simulation in hospital practice.

Conclusion: the simulation deepened the students’ understanding by fostering critical and reflective thinking on communication and teamwork during their hospital internship, thus highlighting the value of its implementation throughout their university education.

Descriptors:
Simulation Training; Education Interprofessional; Communication; Patient Care Team; Students, Nursing; Nursing Education

Highlights:

(1) Implementation of clinical simulation in students prior to hospital practice. (2) Improvement of communication and teamwork in nursing students. (3) Expanding knowledge using realistic laboratory activities. (4) Broadening the student’s view of the nurse’s role in the hospital environment (5) Discussion of feelings and case resolution favored by Debriefing.