Other Titles
Pre-Briefing Techniques that Promote Psychological Safety and Clinical Reasoning in Nursing Students [Title Slide]
Abstract
A review of the simulation literature highlights the need to further understand the relationship between psychological safety and students’ clinical performance. Guided by Situated Learning Theory, this study aimed to determine to what extent there were differences in the experience of psychological safety and the performance of clinical judgement between three different pre-briefing techniques. Situated learning theory purports that learning is experienced within an individual's environment which is supported by the individual's active participation and shared with others. Therefore, as the collaboration and interaction between learner and educator during a pre-briefing activity increase, the level of support for learning and confidence building experienced by the learner also increases. To that end, this study also intended to determine how different pre-briefing techniques influenced students’ clinical judgement a simulated scenario. Thirty-eight nursing students were randomly assigned to one of the three pre-briefing groups, each receiving a 20-minute pre-briefing session. A survey post-pre-brief on psychological safety and a 20-minute simulation scenario using Lasater’s clinical judgment rubric were completed. 38 participated for a response rate of 76 percent. Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between psychological safety and clinical judgment. Higher feelings of psychological safety during pre-briefing were linked to better clinical reasoning and judgment. Multivariate analysis indicated differences among the pre-briefing groups on psychological safety and clinical judgment scores. Further analysis revealed that the Concept Mapping and Virtual Reality techniques enhanced psychological safety and clinical judgment more effectively than Traditional methods of pre-briefing. Concept mapping and virtual reality helped nursing students experience a higher level of psychological safety which had a positive impact on participants’ abilities to make clinical judgements during a simulated scenario. However, Virtual Reality consistently scored highest as the most effective technique for fostering psychological safety and improving clinical reasoning during simulated scenarios especially in the environment facilitated by the educator. Innovative pre-briefing techniques using Virtual Reality can enhance the psychological safety and clinical judgment of students, as they prepare for real-world clinical settings.
Notes
Funding Acknowledgement:
This study has received financial support from the Niagara College Dream Big Fund, in the form of an educational grant.
Extensive reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Lambda Pi at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Simulation, Virtual Learning, Testing Strategies, Nursing Students, Psychological Safety, Clinical Competence, Judgment (Psychology)
Recommended Citation
Odreman, Holldrid; McNally, Ryan; and Baltus, Christian, "Virtual Reality Simulation Prebrief: Promoting Psychological Safety and Clinical Reasoning" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 294.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/294
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-09-24
Virtual Reality Simulation Prebrief: Promoting Psychological Safety and Clinical Reasoning
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
A review of the simulation literature highlights the need to further understand the relationship between psychological safety and students’ clinical performance. Guided by Situated Learning Theory, this study aimed to determine to what extent there were differences in the experience of psychological safety and the performance of clinical judgement between three different pre-briefing techniques. Situated learning theory purports that learning is experienced within an individual's environment which is supported by the individual's active participation and shared with others. Therefore, as the collaboration and interaction between learner and educator during a pre-briefing activity increase, the level of support for learning and confidence building experienced by the learner also increases. To that end, this study also intended to determine how different pre-briefing techniques influenced students’ clinical judgement a simulated scenario. Thirty-eight nursing students were randomly assigned to one of the three pre-briefing groups, each receiving a 20-minute pre-briefing session. A survey post-pre-brief on psychological safety and a 20-minute simulation scenario using Lasater’s clinical judgment rubric were completed. 38 participated for a response rate of 76 percent. Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between psychological safety and clinical judgment. Higher feelings of psychological safety during pre-briefing were linked to better clinical reasoning and judgment. Multivariate analysis indicated differences among the pre-briefing groups on psychological safety and clinical judgment scores. Further analysis revealed that the Concept Mapping and Virtual Reality techniques enhanced psychological safety and clinical judgment more effectively than Traditional methods of pre-briefing. Concept mapping and virtual reality helped nursing students experience a higher level of psychological safety which had a positive impact on participants’ abilities to make clinical judgements during a simulated scenario. However, Virtual Reality consistently scored highest as the most effective technique for fostering psychological safety and improving clinical reasoning during simulated scenarios especially in the environment facilitated by the educator. Innovative pre-briefing techniques using Virtual Reality can enhance the psychological safety and clinical judgment of students, as they prepare for real-world clinical settings.
Description
This presentation will present recent findings from a research study on pre-briefing techniques that are most helpful in enhancing psychological safety and improving clinical reasoning in nursing students. It will also focus on the use of virtual reality as a pre-briefing technique to prepare nursing students for real-world nursing practice.