Exploring Nursing Faculty Perspectives and Implementation Experiences of Simulation-based Education: A Qualitative Study from Northern India

Background Simulation-based education (SBE) has become an emerging teaching strategy in which faculty play a central role in implementing SBE within nursing curricula; hence, to understand how simulation is integrated into teaching practices, this study aimed to explore nursing faculty perspectives and implementation experiences of SBE in nursing institutes across Northern India. Methods A qualitative phenomenological design was adopted to collect data through in-depth interviews with 19 nursing faculty members, purposively sampled from selected institutes in Northern India, who had completed training in SBE at least 6 months prior. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically until data saturation. Results Four themes reflected faculty perspectives: perceived educational value of SBE, safe and supportive learning environment, enhancing competence and patient safety, and accessibility and adaptability of SBE. Three themes captured their implementation experiences: comfort and confidence in using SBE, scope and barriers to simulation usage, and enabling factors influencing implementation. Faculty perceived SBE as a realistic and interactive pedagogy that enhances competence and patient safety. Implementation experiences were influenced by prior training, infrastructure, and administrative support. Conclusion Nursing faculty in Northern India expressed positive perspectives and meaningful engagement with SBE. Faculty training, resource optimization, and institutional support are vital for strengthening simulation-based nursing education.