Effectiveness of online simulation training: Measuring faculty knowledge, perceptions, and intention to adopt

Background Best practice standards of simulation recommend standardized simulation training for nursing faculty. Online training may offer an effective and more widely available alternative to in-person training. Objectives Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study evaluated the effectiveness of an online simulation training program, examining faculty's foundational knowledge of simulation as well as perceptions and intention to adopt. Design One-group pretest-posttest design. Setting A large school of nursing with a main campus and five regional campuses in the Midwestern United States. Participants Convenience sample of 52 faculty participants. Methods Knowledge of foundational simulation principles was measured by pre/post-training module quizzes. Perceptions and the intention to adopt simulation were measured using the Faculty Attitudes and Intent to Use Related to the Human Patient Simulator questionnaire. Results There was a significant improvement in faculty knowledge after training and observable improvements in attitudes. Attitudes significantly influenced the intention to adopt simulation (B = 2.54, p < 0.001). Conclusions Online simulation training provides an effective alternative for training large numbers of nursing faculty who seek to implement best practice of standards within their institutions.