Undergraduate nursing students' personality and learning effectiveness in high-fidelity simulation education.

AIM

To examine the correlation between undergraduate nursing students' personality and high-fidelity simulation learning effectiveness.

BACKGROUND

Simulation is a fundamental approach in nursing education, with learning outcomes associated with various factors. Personality, reflecting on one's way of learning, thinking and behaving, is a potential factor associated with simulation learning.

DESIGN

A descriptive correlational study was conducted.

METHODS

68 final year undergraduate nursing students completed an online survey following a high-fidelity nursing simulation. The five personality traits of neuroticism, extraversion, openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness were examined using the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Five-Factor Inventory 3 (NEO-FFI-3). To investigate the relationship between personality and learning effectiveness, the revised English version of the Simulation Learning Effectiveness Inventory (SLEI) was also completed.

RESULTS

No significant association was found between the five personality traits and students' simulation learning effectiveness. However, the SLEI subscale of 'resources' was positively correlated with the trait of conscientiousness (r = 0.248, p = 0.04). In addition, students' nursing work experience was associated with their learning effectiveness in high- fidelity simulation. Nursing students scored the highest in the personality trait of agreeableness (35.04 SD 5.28) and the lowest in that of neuroticism (26.53 SD 7.33).

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding personality assists in the application of best practice simulation for undergraduate nursing students. The design and implementation of high-fidelity simulation needs to consider students' previous nursing work experience.