Nursing students' anxiety related to patient sudden death

Abstract

This study was completed to determine the influence of simulation on reducing nursing students’ anxiety levels when faced with sudden patient death. The study also explored how nursing students’ general anxiety levels influence their anxiety levels when faced with the sudden death of a patient. The sample consisted of 52 second-semester sophomore nursing students enrolled at a private, not-for-profit BSN program in west central Illinois. The design was a one-group, pre-test, post-test design using Mezirow’s transformational learning theory and Jeffries’ simulation model. Participants completed the state and trait sections of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale for Adults (STAI) prior to and after participating in a simulated scenario where a patient suddenly died. Participants were randomly assigned the role of nursing student or observer. Human actors played the role of the patient and the patient’s family members. A debriefing was completed after the simulation. Pearson r correlation and paired t tests were completed using SPSS v19. Results showed a statistically significant decrease in anxiety levels after completing the simulation and debriefing (t(51)=4.244, p < 0.0005). A positive correlation was present between the students’ general anxiety levels and their anxiety levels when faced with sudden patient death, however this correlation was not statistically significant (r=0.174, p(two tailed)= 0.218). The study results show that simulation can be an effective strategy to decrease students’ anxiety levels when faced with the sudden death of a patient.