Hospitals have high expectations for new nursing graduates. Many expect someone who was a nursing student just a few short weeks before, but now has a diploma and a temporary nursing license, to be able to safely and competently care for acutely-ill patients. The appropriateness of these expectations is a good question. A Bachelor of Science school of nursing should ensure that senior nursing students—soon to be in the working world—have the confidence needed to respond to emergencies that occur on nursing units. The study investigated the problem whether or not senior nursing students are confident responding to emergencies that occur on the nursing units with their acutely-ill patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of participation in a patient simulation scenario on the levels of self-efficacy reported by senior Bachelor of Science nursing students. Research addressed the question: What is the relationship between participating in a patient simulation scenario depicting a clinical emergency and the level of confidence reported by the students' responding to these emergencies?

The study used a one-group, pretest-posttest design. The population of interest was composed of baccalaureate of science senior nursing students in registered nursing programs across the United States. Subjects for the study were obtained from the accessible population of nursing students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science school of nursing in the southern United States. A self-efficacy scale was used to determine the relationship between a student's participation in simulation and his/her reported level of self-efficacy. Sixty-five subjects completed the study. A statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy emerged following participation in simulation. High-fidelity patient simulation can be used to improve student nurses' self-efficacy. Results of this study indicate that simulation is a valuable teaching method. This study is intended to help both hospital administrators and nursing school instructors assist students in the transition from student to nurse.