The impact of simulation based education on nursing confidence, knowledge and patient outcomes on general medicine units.

The ability to quickly and reliably detect a clinically deteriorating patient and intervene appropriately is a skill nurses are expected to bring into practice. Simulation education has been shown to improve nurses' knowledge, confidence and communication, especially when focused on deteriorating patients. In a simulation center at a large tertiary level Canadian teaching hospital, a 4 h simulation based education session was developed for general medicine nursing staff.