Virtual Simulation in Clinical Nursing Education to Improve Knowledge and Clinical Skills: Literature Review

BACKGROUND: Nursing as a professional education must have a solid professional foundation to encourage nursing professionals’ attitude, behavior, and ability to carry out the nursing practice. AIM: This study aims to review the effectiveness of virtual simulations (vSIMs) in clinical nursing education in increasing the clinical knowledge and skills of new nurses and nursing students. METHODS: A literature review using the PRISMA method from the online database Science Direct, Scopus, and PubMed with the keywords vSIM, clinical nursing education, knowledge, and nursing skills from 2016 to 2020. RESULTS: It was found that 162 articles were found. Then, 25 articles can be reviewed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The reviewed articles used a quasi-experimental design. While articles in the form of pilot projects, literature/systematic reviews, qualitative, and descriptive studies were excluded from the study. Based on the review of articles, it was found that, on average, they discussed the effectiveness of vSIMs used in the clinical learning process in hospitals. It can be applied to new nurses and nursing students. CONCLUSION: Virtual simulation is useful for learning new skills; practicing skills that combine content, critical thinking, and psychomotor elements; learning skills competencies, and the ability to make decisions. In the era of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, vSIM is a safe and realistic nursing education technology for nurses and nursing students