The effects of using problem-based learning in the clinical nursing education on the students' outcomes in Iran: a quasi-experimental study.

There are some strategies including problem based learning (PBL) that could enhance the learning experience. This quasi-experimental design was conducted to compare the effects of PBL with traditional clinical education that is commonly used for nursing students. The effects were observed by monitoring differences in their special and general competencies, performance and attitudes towards learning experiences. In 2010, 70, undergraduate nursing students were assigned into two groups as either PBL (n = 34) or Control group (n = 36) at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in Iran. The research tools used in this study were: the "students' competency self-evaluation" and the "students' attitudes toward their learning experiences" questionnaires, and also a "Coding system of performance" checklist. The groups were similar in most demographic characteristics. The PBL students' general and special competencies improved in the post-test significantly more than those of the control students (P < .001). The PBL students' attitude was significantly better than the control group (P < .01) as well. There was also an incredible enhancement only in the PBL students' performance (P < .01). Therefore the Problem-based learning fostered nursing students' competency, attitude, and performance.