The effects of high-fidelity simulation on salivary cortisol levels in SRNA students: a pilot study.

The use of clinical simulation in graduate level nursing education provides the opportunity for students to learn and apply theoretical practices of nursing care in a safe and controlled environment. It was postulated that laboratory simulation would mimic the stress levels of a real clinical situation as measured by the stress hormone cortisol. The purpose of this study was to determine whether high-fidelity simulation approximates the stress experienced by nurse anesthesia students in the operating room.