Work

Digital Simulations for Future Proof Nurses: Hybrid Implementation Approach

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Implementing innovative digital teaching methods in higher education is a particularly complex endeavor that calls for adaptive and hybrid implementation strategies. This study describes the integration of digital simulations into a higher education nursing faculty. Kotter’s change model was used as an organizational framework to structure and report the process, while a design approach guided day-to-day practice. This combination was chosen to balance accountability with the flexibility required in a complex higher education context. This four-year single case study draws on annual project reports and descriptive student questionnaire data. The findings show that neither the problem definition nor the solution remained stable across project cycles: each cycle surfaced new challenges and revealed new contextual constraints. Tangible outcomes include a growing library of co-created simulation scenarios, a range of implementation tools, and the “simulatie wasstraat”, a curated arrangement of scenarios tailored to students’ placement contexts. Students reported positive experiences regarding perceived usefulness, motivation, and the perceived educational value of the simulations. Persistent challenges around organizational embedding remain. The findings nonetheless suggest that a hybrid implementation strategy was practically viable in this institutional context.

Source: Education Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/educsci16091353

Authors: Sarah Walburg, Gijs Terlouw

Institutions: Stenden University of Applied Sciences, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172