Emergency medical care students’ perceptions of contributors to stress and anxiety during simulation-based assessments: A pilot study

Background: Simulation-based assessments (SBAs) are known to be stressful for students and may induce anxiety. Stress and anxiety have the potential to negatively affect student performance in assessment. Methods: This pilot study employed a qualitative, descriptive methodology. Emergency medical care (EMC) students were invited to participate in the research. Due to the scope of the project, six participants were interviewed. The data were collected through one-on-one interviews, which were recorded at the time of interview then transcribed verbatim, manually coded, and then grouped into categories and themes. Results: One theme and five sub-themes emerged from the interviews. The theme that emerged was that participants experience anxiety during SBA that leads to stress. The sub-themes that emerged are that: the academic impact of the simulation assessment drives anxiety; waiting in a common area causes anxiety to build; a fear of scrutiny exists; lack of simulation fidelity and technical issues cause anxiety; and comparing their actions to their peers’ caused self-doubt and anxiety. Conclusion: This research identified various aspects that drive anxiety and stress during SBAs. Educators can use this information to create a setting which limits these factors should they wish to reduce stress and anxiety in their students.