Abstract
Master’s-level, nurse education certificate students performed virtual clinical simulations as a portion of their clinical practicum. Virtual clinical simulation is an innovative pedagogy using avatars in Web-based platforms to provide simulated clinical experiences. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate nurse educator students’ experience with virtual simulation and the effect of virtual simulation on confidence in teaching ability. Aggregated quantitative results yielded no significant change in confidence in teaching ability. Individually, some students indicated change of either increased or decreased confidence, whereas others exhibited no change in confidence after engaging in virtual simulation. Qualitative findings revealed a process of precursors of anxiety and frustration with technical difficulties followed by outcomes of appreciation and learning. Instructor support was a mediating factor to decrease anxiety and technical difficulties. This study served as a starting point regarding the application of a virtual world to teach the art of instruction. As the movement toward online education continues, educators should further explore use of virtual simulation to prepare nurse educators.