Increasing Medical Laboratory Science Student Confidence in Phlebotomy Skills Through Simulation

Simulation-based education has become a standard practice in health professions education. To provide students with realistic phlebotomy experience in a low-stakes environment, the Grand Valley State University Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program incorporated a live simulation event into its MLS program curriculum. Using a pre- and posttest survey design, MLS students rated their perceived confidence in phlebotomy skills within 3 domains: patient interaction skills, phlebotomy skills, and safety skills. Results demonstrated a gain in perceived self-confidence across all 3 categories following the simulation. These findings suggest that simulation-based education may be an effective tool for increasing confidence in phlebotomy skills in MLS education.