Developing Caring Behaviors in Undergraduate Nursing Students Through Simulation

Why is it important to understand caring in the health community? Nurses who are caring in nature can maintain much needed connections with patients that are loving, kind, and sensitively meaningful (Watson, 2009). An example of caring in a hospital setting is when a nurse is helping patients who are physically ill and assists them in becoming well again. Caring is perceived to be a combination of knowledge, competence, and presence (Modic, Siedlecki, Griffin, & Fitzpatrick, 2014). In addition, caring is also a way to practice the connection between a nurse and patient in better helping them.

Caring in the Nursing Education Introducing caring in the nursing curriculum will benefit nursing students as they can learn to become more compassionate in their care. In nursing school, it’s not only the educator’s responsibility to assure that the nursing students are building caring behaviors, but also for students to be able to demonstrate it (Persaud, S., & Thornton, M. 2018). Promoting activities such as simulations can emphasize caring, enabling the opportunity to be on the other side of the hospital bed.

Some students who go into nursing school might go for more personal reasons or due to certain life experiences. While in nursing school, the concept of caring and putting it into practice might take some time to develop. However, this might fully develop over the time of being in the field and the course of one’s career.

Simulation and Caring

There are many ways that a nurse can show their patients that they are there for them during a stay or recovery at the hospital.

Incorporating simulations in nursing has been a method for students to learn basic interventions, therapeutic communication, decision making, critical thinking skills, and patient safety (Persaud, S., & Thornton, M. 2018).

This method will give students the opportunity of hands-on training and real-life scenarios. These skills learned can be beneficial when put to practice on the job and can help decrease prevalence of errors. Also, simulation labs will help build student self-confidence and aid in losing of any fears to concerns of possible real-life scenarios. Not only does it help students build their confidence but also assists them to get support from their peers or educator working in this collaborative environment. The simulation is an opportunity for students to be able to identify their ability to recognize their own caring behaviors through simulation labs (Persaud, S., & Thornton, M. 2018).

In cooperating simulations in nursing school will give students the feeling of the real-world life scenarios to learn how to apply their knowledge and skills into the work area.

Conclusion

All things considered, simulations, caring, and compassion are the key for a student to succeed in their career. The students gain patient care skills in a simulation lab to improve clinical reasoning, judgment and making a critical decision. It provides hands- on practice, experience in life saving measure, and amplify emergency understanding and learning. There is a lot to expect from a nurse in a health care environment. Making sure that every student nurse experiences a simulation lab will demonstrate and prepare a nurse on being compassionate in every situation.