Designing a Simulation for Student Evaluation Using Scriven's Key Evaluation Checklist

Human patient simulation use has increased dramatically in nursing education over the past 10 years, with many benefits. One advantage is that it allows students to learn by practicing skills in a risk-free environment, with immediate faculty feedback. Another benefit is that it prepares and ensures the competence of student nurses, leading to improved patient safety outcomes. Student opinions gathered in a survey of nursing schools and simulator centers favored use of competency evaluation using simulation in at least some circumstances. As little research concerning use of simulation to evaluate student competency can be found, an established guide such as Scriven's Key Evaluation Checklist can provide a solid backbone for nursing faculty designing a simulation for student evaluation. This checklist contains 18 checkpoints that help the nurse educator to comprehensively plan, design, implement, and evaluate an evaluative simulation.