Exploring simulation as a teaching pedagogy for male undergraduate nursing students: A Qualitative Study in the United Arab Emirates.

Background: The nursing profession is increasingly appealing to male students at the undergraduate level. Society's demand for nurses, particularly male nurses, is rising; nevertheless, the availability of clinical placements for nursing students is insufficient to meet this demand. Simulation has significantly advanced as an educational method for training healthcare personnel. Simulation makes replicating real-life events and honing skills like clinical decision-making and communication. Using simulation as an adjunct or alternative to clinical practice is now under discussion. Simulation is a resource-intensive pedagogical approach, necessitating careful consideration of its organization and implementation to maximize efficiency without undermining learning outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to explore simulation as a teaching pedagogy for male undergraduate nursing students in the United Arab Emirates. Method: This study adopted a descriptive qualitative approach. The purposive sampling method recruited 43 male students from nursing programs in the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to participate in the individual interviews. In addition, two focus group discussions were conducted on an online meeting platform. Data analysis was done using thematic analysis. Results: In this study, we identified four major themes: 1) Students' perceptions of simulation, 2) Preparation for realistic situations, 3) Feeling of anxiety and stress, and 4) Theory and practice abilities gaps. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that male nursing students received the overall simulation experience well. The study highlights the importance of skilled and encouraging simulation instructors who can provide participants with valuable guidance and feedback for more individualized teaching. Study results provide important new information about how simulation-based learning could improve nursing education and further studies in this field. The findings shed light on the problems that male nursing students have been dealing with for years and highlight efforts to make changes as soon as feasible. It may be helpful to revise the simulation to provide more opportunities for independent problem-solving skills and to incorporate more real-life factors and variables into the scenario. Additionally, developing more individualized approaches to building self-confidence may be helpful, such as providing personalized feedback and guidance based on each student's strengths and weaknesses.