Design, delivery, implementation, and evaluation of simulated clinical placements: a scoping review and evidence and gap map of the current state of evidence

Clinical placements allow health professions students to apply theoretical knowledge in clinical settings. For various economical, practical, and preferential reasons, some programs and institutions have trialled and established simulated clinical placements. This scoping review examines the evidence on the design, delivery, implementation, and evaluation of simulated clinical placements. We conducted a scoping review using JBI methods and reported according to the PRISMA-ScR. PubMed (NCBI), Embase (Embase.com), and CINAHL (EBSCO), PsycINFO (EBSCO) were searched. Reviewers screened title and abstracts and full-texts articles to assess for eligibility. Data were extracted and analysed with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. Evidence and gap maps were developed to visualise the analysed data. There were 131 documents included in this scoping review. Nursing (n = 77; 58.8%), physiotherapy (n = 10; 7.6%), and radiography (n = 9; 7.6%) were the most common fields where simulated clinical placements were trialled and established. Most studies originated the USA (n = 58; 44.3%), followed by Australia (n = 22; 16%), and the UK (n = 15; 11.5%). SCPs were experienced in-person (n = 57), or online (n = 46), with 18 documents reporting both in-person and online options. The percentage of replaced traditional clinical placement time most often ranged from between 0 and 50%, with seven documents reporting a replacement of between 76 and 100%. Several theoretical and conceptual frameworks were identified as being foundational in the establishment of simulated clinical placements. Learning outcomes, student outcomes, assessment types, regulatory and accreditation determinations and guidelines, resources (capital, human, technological, and student), costs and strengths, barriers, limitations and facilitators attributed to simulated clinical placements were identified. Simulated clinical placements are increasingly established to capitalise on the opportunities and affordances they offer to health professions students, particularly when traditional placements become less feasible. Given the acceleration of placements that are being undertaken in simulated rather than traditional health care services, it is likely they will continue to be established well into the future. There are significant opportunities to shape learner experiences and performance through how we use simulation techniques in simulated clinical placements for the purpose of building student readiness for practice as health professionals.