Abstract

Background: High-fidelity simulation (HFS) is a cognitive load inducing educational tool that gives participants an opportunity to emulate clinical scenarios by assuming various roles. HFS offers opportunities for undergraduate nursing students to build fundamental knowledge that can replace, or enhance, clinical experiences. Cognitive load exists on a spectrum and negatively impacts learning when learners are at either extreme of the spectrum. Cognitive load is comprised of the three subcomponents of intrinsic, extraneous, and germane load. Not much is known about different subcomponents or their ability to prediction immediate knowledge and knowledge retention in students who play fundamentally different roles, as active participant versus participant observer, during the simulation. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between cognitive load, in its whole and its parts, and learner role (active participant versus participant observer) on immediate knowledge and knowledge retention in undergraduate senior nursing students following a high-fidelity simulation. Methods: A non-experimental predictive correlational design was used with a cohort of senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. The data included demographic information, an adapted Cognitive Load Inventory (Leppink et al., 2013), and initial and two-week knowledge retention tests developed by the author. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. Findings: There were no significant differences between cognitive load ratings, immediate learning outcomes, and retention learning outcomes between active participants and participant observers. Conclusion: Active participants and participant observers reported similar ratings of cognitive load and achieved similar learning outcomes following the high-fidelity simulation, regardless of role. The study results contribute to the body of literature supporting both active participant and participant observer roles as valuable learning opportunities in high-fidelity simulation.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2020

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Anderson, Mindi

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Nursing

Department

Nursing

Degree Program

Nursing

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0008581; DP0024257

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0024257

Language

English

Release Date

2-15-2024

Length of Campus-only Access

3 years

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

Included in

Nursing Commons

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