Simulation-Based Training Program Effect on Pediatric Nurses Regarding Heel-Prick Screening Test

Overview

This study aimed to assess the impact of simulation-based training on pediatric nurses' knowledge and performance regarding the heel-prick technique used during newborn blood screening tests in select hospitals in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This study utilized an experimental pre-test and post-test design. The G\*Power Program® Version 3.1.9.4 was employed to determine the necessary sample size to fulfill the study's objectives. The sample consisted of 50 nurses recruited from the Maternity \& Children Hospital Bisha, Al-Namas General Hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Pediatric Assiut University Hospital in Egypt. The current study's findings indicate that, following simulation-based training, pediatric nurses significantly improved their heel-prick knowledge and performance during the newborn blood screening test. This study provides strong evidence that the simulation-based training program improved nurses' knowledge and performance, and we advise all pediatric healthcare practitioners, physicians, and nurses employed in hospitals and healthcare facilities to undergo advanced simulation-based training. Nursing managers can target public hospitals with low scores by putting systematic methods into place to improve nurses' performance and knowledge in simulation-based training.

One of the best ways to impart important skills to trainees is through simulation-based training which is more reliable than the conventional method of doing clinical examinations. It is used in pediatric nursing training to allow nurses to practice and improve their clinical and conversational skills during an actual child encounter. A heel-prick is a complex psychomotor task that requires skill and knowledge on the part of the pediatric nurse who is performing the procedure while applying for the National Newborn Screening Program.