From simulation room to clinical practice: Postgraduate neonatal nursing students’ transfer of learning from in-situ resuscitation simulation with interprofessional team to clinical practice

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how postgraduate neonatal nursing students transfer learning from in-situ resuscitation simulation with interprofessional teams to clinical practice. It is essential that healthcare professionals involved in stabilization and resuscitation of newborns master technical (e.g. bag-mask ventilation) and non-technical skills (e.g. teamwork and communication). Simulation plays an important role in education as it allows healthcare professionals safe practicing of skills and teamwork under direct supervision. Debriefing is a central component. Eighteen postgraduate neonatal nursing students participated in in-situ simulation with interprofessional team. Subsequently, five students were interviewed individually. A qualitative content analysis was performed. Three descriptive categories were identified, representing the manifest content: ‘Non-technical skills’, ‘Task management in an acute situation’, and ‘Learning through reflection’. The interviewees highlighted a deeper understanding of the collaboration and mutual dependency in the team after in-situ simulation. One latent content was identified: "Trust and competence in a relational collaboration". It is challenging to choose the best suited learning activities for learning different subject matters, like skills and competencies needed in clinical neonatal resuscitation. Despite this being a small study, the findings can be transferred to similar educational contexts.