ArticleBMC nursing2026
Pioneering infection prevention and control education through simulation-based learning: impact on knowledge and skills in nursing students in Tunisia.
Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInfection prevention and control (IPC) is essential in healthcare settings, yet evidence on simulation-based learning (SBL) for nursing education in low- and middle-income countries remains limited. This study reports the first experience in Tunisia of integrating a procedural simulation unit focused on Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) prevention into the nursing curriculum.
methodsA quasi-experimental pre–post study was conducted at the Higher Institute of Nursing Sciences of Tunis (ISSIT). Final-year nursing students (N = 109) participated in three procedural simulation workshops based on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. Students’ knowledge and procedural skills were assessed using structured pre- and post-tests based on international guidelines. Additionally, the quality of the instructional process was evaluated using the Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare – Student Version (DASH-SV). Data were analyzed using McNemar’s test for paired samples and Cohen’s d for effect size.
resultsAt baseline, nursing students demonstrated substantial gaps in knowledge regarding VAP prevention and IPC principles; notably, incorrect response rates exceeded 50% for most items. Following the simulation workshops, significant improvements were observed across all assessed domains (p < 0.001). Overall scores increased substantially, with all students achieving a post-test score of at least 10/20, and 66.7% scoring ≥ 15/20. The DASH-SV revealed a high quality of debriefing (Mean global score: 6.85 ± 0.14/7), with a “ceiling effect” observed for instructor effectiveness and psychological safety.
conclusionSimulation-based learning effectively improved nursing students’ IPC knowledge and procedural skills, demonstrating its feasibility for integration into nursing curricula in resource-limited settings. The high DASH scores confirm that a structured and psychologically safe learning environment was successfully established. This study provides a replicable model for future curriculum development to bridge the gap between theory and clinical practice in Tunisia. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.