From simulation to mastery: A pre-post intervention study on handover and communication skills in nursing students

• Simulation boosts students’ confidence in handover and communication skills. • Simulation helps bridge the gap between theory and clinical handover practice. • More practice and support are key to improving students’ handover competence. Prior evidence indicates that structured handovers improve reliability and nurse-led patient transfers. However, the lack of formal handover training creates communication challenges for newly qualified nurses. Therefore, nursing students should be given opportunities to practice handovers using simulation during their program. To examine the impact of a simulation-based handover training session on the confidence and communication skills of pre registration nursing students. A pre-post intervention study was conducted with 20 pre registration nursing students. The intervention replaced lecture-based instruction with a simulation session that replicated real-world handover scenarios. Data was collected through adapted surveys. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistical tests, and qualitative responses were thematically analyzed. Significant improvements were observed in students’ post intervention, particularly in their perceived ability to effectively communicate information ( p = 0.0039) and their confidence in delivering confidential information ( p = 0.0302). Students valued the structured approach to handovers but noted ongoing challenges in real-world practice. Simulation-based training enhances nursing students’ handover competence and confidence. Further research should explore its integration with clinical practice to reinforce learning.