An Integrative Review of Computer-based Simulation in the Education Process

The purpose of this study was to review quantitative studies related to computer-based simulation and healthcare education and determine the effect of simulation on education and learning. A total of 513 references were retrieved, but only 9 quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria. To synthesize the data, the mean scores and standard deviations of the studies were used to determine the effect size, the index, and the direction of the effect. This review indicates that 75% of the studies showed positive effects of simulation on skill and/or knowledge acquisition. The potential of computer-based simulation as an education augmentation is enormous, but research is needed to determine effective and successful uses of high-fidelity simulations for nursing education.