Executive Summary: Staff Education Project Staff Education to Enhance Nursing Competency through Simulation Technology

Simulation-based training is a key component of nursing education, providing immersive, hands-on experiences that enhance clinical skills in a controlled environment. In the local organization, leadership determined there was an underutilization of advanced simulation equipment stemming from a lack of standardized training among staff. Thus, the purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to determine whether an educational intervention focused on simulation improved competency among nurses at a local health care organization. To measure competency, 15 items from the Nurse Professional Competence Scale were used. Fifty-eight individuals were invited to participate in the educational intervention, and a total of 31 participants attended the educational intervention over the course of 7 days. Twenty-one of the participants did not complete both the pre- and posttest and were deleted from the sample for a final sample size of 10 participants. All 10 participants identified as female. Four of the participants were bachelor’s prepared, five were master’s prepared, and the remaining participant had a doctoral degree. Using a Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test to analyze the data, the results indicated there was no statistical differences between pre- and posttest scores across the 15 items (p > 0.05). Although the findings were not statistically significant, the project demonstrated clinical significance because the scores demonstrated that the educational intervention served as a review for the participants. It is recommended that annual education on simulation and the use of simulation be provided to promote positive patient, provider, and organizational outcomes and ultimately, positive social change.