Knowledge and competency of novice nursing students in nasogastric tube feeding: Is simulation better than case scenario?

Objectives: As the millennial generation enters the nursing profession, simulation takes on a key role in effective pedagogy. We sought to examine the efficacy of simulation versus case scenario as a teaching method for novice nursing students in the skill of nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding. We assessed the knowledge, competency, self-confidence, and satisfaction among these nursing students. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was used to compare the efficacy of simulation and case scenarios in promoting knowledge, clinical competency, self-learning, and self-confidence among novice nursing students in the Middle East. The study sample included 69 students registered for the Fundamentals of Nursing Laboratory course at the College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, during the spring and fall 2016 semesters. Thirty-five students were assigned to the intervention group and attended a simulation, while 34 students were assigned to the control group and were given the standard case scenario used in teaching this course. The competency of the students on NGT feeding skill was measured after a simulation or case scenario. Results: In both groups, the majority of students were ≤ 20 years old, female, hailed from rural areas, and had a cumulative grade point average of > 2.5. Data showed a significant improvement in the mean scores of competency between the intervention and control groups (t₍₆₇₎ = 3.869, p < 0.001) suggesting that simulation was effective in gaining competency compared to the case scenario. There was a positive statistical significance between satisfaction and self-confidence among the intervention group. Conclusions: Simulation has an effective role in clinical education for teaching practical skills. However, in this study, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores between the two methods of teaching. This helped us to conclude that competency gained by novice students’ learning a skill through simulation, was better than the competency gained through case scenario. We recommend simulation as an effective pedagogy among novice nursing students.