STUDENT NURSES’ EXPECTATIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY VERSUS ACTUAL EXPERIENCES OF A SIMULATION AT A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2520-5293/182Keywords:
empathy, reliability, responsiveness, service quality, simulation, tangiblesAbstract
Simulations may assist students to deal with differences in focus between what they learn in the classroom with what is expected in the clinical practice situation – more specifically the needs of the patient. In addition, simulations assist students to become active participants in their own learning and use their knowledge when thinking and applying what they have learned in a healthcare setting. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between nursing students’ expectations regarding the quality of simulated training and their actual evaluation of the experience of such simulations. Using convenience sampling, a total of 30 student nurses completed two questionnaires that measured their expectations regarding service quality (SERVQUAL) and their actual satisfaction with the simulation. Both questionnaires had acceptable levels of reliability,  except for the responsiveness and assurance dimensions of the SERVQUAL instrument. Student nurses reported high expectations related to the following aspects of service: assurance, reliability and tangibles. In addition, the majority of these expectations, except for assurance, had substantial correlations (r>0.4) with numerous dimensions associated with the actual experience of simulated training. In essence, 27 (90%) student nurses reported that they were very satisfied that the simulated training had met their expectations, and that the School of Nursing had the necessary capacity to host such simulations. Moreover, 27 (90%) students also viewed the simulations as being helpful to stimulate critical thinking. Finally, 24 students (79%) were of the opinion that simulations helped them to effectively communicate as a team.
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Accepted 2015-08-12
Published 2016-01-05
