How simulation training for nursing students in emergency internships affects triage decision-making and anxiety: A quasi-experimental study.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effects of simulation-based training on triage decision-making skills and anxiety in fourth-year nursing students. Methods: This study employed an experimental pretest-posttest design and randomly assigned 90 nursing students from adult and pediatric emergency internships to control (n = 48) and intervention groups (n = 42). Although both groups underwent triage decision-making training, only the intervention group received simulation-based triage training. Results: A significant difference in posttest triage decision-making knowledge and anxiety scores was observed between the control and intervention groups (p < 0.05). The posttest triage decision-making knowledge score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the pretest score, whereas the posttest anxiety score was significantly lower. Conclusion: Theoretical triage decision-making training was effective, whereas simulation-based triage training improved the nursing students' knowledge and performance. Therefore, simulation-based training should be integrated into traditional learning methods to improve the triage decision-making skills of nursing students.