The efficacy of simulation-based and peer-learning handover training for new graduate nurses.

Background: Nursing handovers are a crucial nursing practice for patient safety and continuity of nursing care. As a strategy to improve nursing handovers, it has been suggested that new graduate nurses receive training in how to conduct handovers.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of simulation-based handover training and peer-learning handover training on clinical competence regarding handovers and clinical judgment among new graduate nurses.

Design: Quasi-experimental research using a nonequivalent control group post-test design.

Participants: A convenience sample of 55 new graduate nurses with no clinical experience who expected to work at a university hospital were selected.

Methods: We measured participants' clinical competence regarding handovers and clinical judgment immediately after completing a training program and after 1 month of working at a hospital to examine the immediate and latent effects of simulation-based and peer-learning handover training, respectively. A researcher-developed clinical competence instrument regarding handovers and a clinical judgment instrument based on the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric were used. To identify differences in the effects of simulation-based and peer-learning handover training, we analyzed the data using the independent t-test and paired t-test. When evaluating the latent effects, the participants wrote self-reflection reports.

Results: There were no significant differences in the immediate effects of the simulation-based training and the peer-learning training. In contrast, in the evaluation of the latent effects, new graduate nurses who received simulation-based training showed significantly higher clinical competence regarding handovers (p = .020) and clinical judgment (p = .033) than their counterparts who received peer-learning training. In the self-reflection reports, 19 participants stated that they had gained more confidence with handovers.

Conclusion: We suggest that simulation-based handover training contributes more to the improvement of new graduate nurses' clinical competence regarding handovers and clinical judgment than peer-learning training.