The attitudes and perceptions of physiotherapy students are improved following a 60-minute high-fidelity cardiorespiratory simulation: an observational study

Aim: To evaluate the effect of integrating simulation-based education into an Extended Masters Physiotherapy course by investigating students’ attitudes and perceptions following cardiorespiratory simulation experiences using high-fidelity simulators. Design: One group observational pre-post survey study. Method: Fifty-eight first year Physiotherapy students at Macquarie University participated in a 60-minute simulation session in which they practiced auscultation of abnormal breath sounds using Laerdal SimMan® 3G simulation mannequins. Pre and post simulation surveys asked students about their attitudes (confidence, self-rated competence and anxiety) and perceptions (relevance and benefits) of simulation-based education. Surveys included 5-point Likert items, dichotomous, and open-ended questions. Results: Forty-four of the 58 (76%) first year students completed the pre and post surveys and were included in the analyses. There was a statistically significant increase in self-perceived competence with auscultation, confidence differentiating lung sounds and confidence communicating auscultation findings (all: median pre 2, post 3; p<0.001). A statistically significant reduction in auscultation-related anxiety (median: pre and post 2, IQR: pre 2-3, post 1-2; p=0.004) and simulation-related anxiety were also found (median: pre 2, post 1; IQR: pre 2-3, post 1-2; p=0.019). Ninety-five percent of students reported simulation to be ‘very/extremely’ relevant and 86.4% of students reported it was ‘very/extremely’ beneficial to their education. Conclusion: Cardiorespiratory simulation had a beneficial effect on student attitudes and was positively received by students. These findings support integration of simulation into Extended Masters Physiotherapy Courses.Key Practice Point: •Simulation-based education is an effective means of improving students’ attitudes and perceptions in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy education.