Non-technical skills in nursing education: effectiveness of a high-fidelity simulation-based course

Literature refers that patients are commonly affected by preventable adverse events associated with non-technical skills failures. Non-technical skills training programs address to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate adverse events in healthcare. This study took place at Center for Clinical Simulation of Aveiro University. Third year prelicensure nursing students were included in two groups: control group (N=27), and experimental group (N=20, who participated in the training course developed, focusing on non-technical skills and crisis resource management acting principles). The study was divided in two different moments, before the implementation of the course, and after the implementation of the course. The course was then divided in three sessions: one four-hour theoretical session; and two threehour practical sessions, each including two high-fidelity simulation-based different scenarios, four in total. Regarding non-technical skills, we found significant differences in the experimental group in eleven items after intervention. As per participants' self-confidence levels, those who participated seem to have significantly increased confidence in their skills. Regarding social-demographic variables, it seems that students from primary healthcare tend to present better non-technical skills than students from maternal health specialty. Overall these results seem to suggest that the course developed was effective in increasing students' knowledge and awareness on non-technical skills. It was demonstrated that the development and application of the structured course is feasible and positive changes in behavior can be measured through the instruments developed. Then, consideration must be given in integrating non-technical skills training into nursing education.