Development of a Standardised Process of Scenario Writing Through a Virtual Assistant Model in Nursing Teaching

Abstract Background: The use of simulation allows students to develop skills. Simulation in the teaching of clinical skills is preceded by some stages, the first of which requires the development of a scenario. This study aimed to develop and test a virtual model for creating scenarios for realistic simulation, focusing on the person with dependence in self-care activities. Methods: A methodological study was conducted in two phases. The first phase of the study aimed to analyse and propose the structure and functioning of the virtual assistant for scenario creation through the nominal group’s technique, involving a group of 10 experts. The second, a quasi-experimental study without a control group, with 128 second-year students, in the four-year nursing degree course, who participated in two moments of realistic simulation, one with a traditional scenario and the other with a scenario built through the virtual assistant. The students completed a questionnaire to assess their understanding of the data, suggested interventions, and their contribution to learning after each simulation experience. Results: The group of experts identified the fields and key concepts that should be part of the structure of the scenarios and proposed a set of icons for better visual recognition of the information. Students considered that the new scenario template favoured their understanding of the situation under analysis and the recognition of the focuses of attention that they should prioritise for the elaboration of the intervention plan. Conclusions: A virtual role-play assistant model for a standardized process of scenario writing to help realistic simulation in nursing teaching is a novelty in this study likely to contribute to learning gains.