The effect of a clinical training course on new nursing graduates’ knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, and willingness to care for COVID-19 patients using simulation

Abstract

BackgroundThe wide spread of the pandemic prevented new graduate nurses caring for patients with COVID-19, although they were required to care for them. The use of simulation could present an acceptable alternative when training is limited for nurses. AimsThis study aimed to measure the impact of attending a hybrid clinical course on knowledge and skills about COVID-19 in new graduate nurses assigned to care for patients with COVID-19 in Jordanian hospitals. It also aimed to measure the change in nurses’ self-efficacy and decision to care for critically ill patients with COVID-19. MethodsA pretest–posttest study that involved the conduction of a clinical training course. Participants (n = 234) were nurses. ResultsNurses showed significant improvement in their knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy in the posttest scores. However, these improvements did not reflect a significant increase in nurses’ willingness to care for critically ill patients with COVID-19, instead, they preferred caring for more stable patients with this condition. Conclusions and implications to practiceSimulation is acceptable to support and improve clinical training outcomes. The use of clinical training courses for new nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 is required to improve knowledge, skills, and safety. Training nurses on how to care safely for a patient with COVID-19 increases nurses’ safety and improves the quality of care provided to those patients. This study emphasized the need for nursing curricula to include training on how to care for patients during pandemics, like COVID-19.