The Saudi Arabian Nursing Students’ Lived Experiences With Simulation-Based Learning: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Following an era of global adaptation of simulation in nursing education, integrating simulation-based learning (SBL) is critical to addressing the demands of the current nursing shortage in the Gulf region through more efficient and secure training pathways. SBL serves not merely as a teaching tool, but as a proactive public health strategy to mitigate medical errors, safeguard patient safety, and improve nurse retention rates within high-stress clinical environments. The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of SBL using a descriptive phenomenological approach at a Saudi nursing college. Eight undergraduate female nursing students participated in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed strictly adhering to Colaizzi’s seven steps descriptive framework. Four distinct themes emerged; Simulation as Preparation for Real-World Clinical Practice; Instructional Strategies and Student Engagement; Curriculum and Institutional Constraints; and Environmental Factors and Resources. The Findings reveal that while students found SBL to be a psychologically safe and confidence-building bridge to clinical practice, its systemic effectiveness was heavily hindered by rigid scheduling, time constraints, and underutilized laboratory resources. Ultimately, these findings emphasize the centrality of student experience in evaluating educational structures. Several targeted educational and structural practices are recommended to enhance the quality and sustainability of SBL, thereby creating more efficient and safer clinical training models for nursing programs across the Gulf region.