The effect of live simulation and video demonstration training on nursing students' ability to evaluate vital signs and perceived stress

Background: Vital signs measurements are the basic learning subject for first-year nursing students and include practices in which they touch the patient, communicate, develop social and motor skills. It is known that students use the "live simulation" method by taking measurements from their friends in laboratory applications. Aim: To find the effect of live simulation and video demonstration training on nursing students' ability to assess vital signs and perceived stress. Design: The study was conducted experimentally with pre test-post test control group. Participants: Nursing 1st year students. Methods: This study was conducted with 78 first-year students studying at Kahramanmaras Sutcu İmam University Nursing Department between February 2023 and March 2024. In the study, 78 first grade students were divided into three groups as two intervention groups (Live Simulation and Video Training Groups) and one control group by lot. The first test measurements were determined by drawing lots. Intervention groups were called to different classes for the experiment. First, the training sessions were completed and then the students were asked to perform these skills on an individual. For the evaluation, the instructors were distributed to the groups by lot, and at the end of the evaluation, the post-test measurements of the students were made. Results: In the comparison of body temperature, respiration, radial pulse, blood pressure and saturation measurement scores between the groups after the intervention; it was found that the scores in the live simulation group were higher than the video group and the control group, and the scores in the video group were higher than the control group and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in the perceived stress scale scores (p>0.05). Conclusions: As a result of the study, it was determined that the use of live simulation was an effective method in teaching vital signs and it is recommended that this method be used in the training of nursing students.