Aims: This presentation describes the use of simulators with beginning nursing students in a nursing health assessment lab. The method gives students an opportunity to assess abnormal lung, cardiac and bowel sounds.

Background: Simulation of clinical situations has become more sophisticated with the introduction of human patient simulators. Simulation is used in nursing education to provide students with a safe environment in which to practice and improve clinical skills, gain self confidence, and reduce fear in caring for real patients. Patricia E. Benner’s theory of novice to expert supports student skill acquisition with basic physical assessment. This course combines practice on fellow students with human patient simulators. David Kolb’s experiential learning theory provides a basis for a simulated patient scenario for learning abnormal findings. The use of a human patient simulator also appeals to the predominant psychomotor-kinesthetic learning style of many of today’s nursing students. This type of learning states that students learn best when doing actual hands-on activities. This method utilizes both the cognitive and psychomotor domain to practice skills.

Methods: Beginning nursing students learn basic assessment skills in a lab where they practice on fellow students after instructor demonstration and explanation. Simulators allow students to listen to normal and abnormal breath, heart and bowel sounds not present in peers. Near the course conclusion students receive scenarios and are instructed to do head-to-toe assessments of patient simulators. The scenarios include adult male, adult female and child simulators. The students then describe and document their findings of the simulated patients.

Results: Students report that they better grasp what they are listening for when assessing actual patients and report more confidence with assessment skills. Instructors report both advantages and disadvantages with this teaching method.

Conclusions: The use of simulators for teaching basic assessment skills to beginning nursing students positively enhances learning.