Innovative Nursing Training in Prehospital Trauma Care: Design and Impact Assessment Using a Dual-Cabin Ambulance Simulator Publisher



Nazari P ; Parsaimanesh E ; Yarmohammadinezhad E ; Kazemi Z ; Mafinejad MK ; Mohseni F
Source: BMC Nursing Published:2026

Abstract

Introduction: Timely and effective pre-hospital trauma care plays a pivotal role in reducing complications and mortality among trauma patients. Traditional teaching methods may have limited capacity to fully simulate the dynamic and stressful conditions of real ambulance environments. This study aimed to design and implement a dual-cabin ambulance simulator and evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing trauma-related skills and learner satisfaction among undergraduate nursing students. Methods: A one-group quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study was conducted with 58 sixth-semester nursing students at Gerash University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2024–2025. A dual-cabin ambulance simulator, consisting of driver and patient compartments equipped with realistic devices and structured trauma scenarios, was designed and constructed to replicate pre-hospital conditions. Training was delivered through a one-week program focused on nine core trauma management skills, implemented in small groups. Educational outcomes were assessed at the first two levels of Kirkpatrick’s model: (1) Reaction was measured using a 22-item satisfaction questionnaire (5-point Likert scale), and (2) Learning was evaluated using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) across nine trauma skill stations (total score range 0–149). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test in SPSS version 21, with p < 0.05 significant level. Results: The mean of students’ satisfaction scores for all items was above 4, indicating high overall satisfaction. OSCE scores significantly improved across all nine stations from pretest to posttest (p < 0.001), demonstrating effective skill enhancement. Conclusion: The use of a two-cabin ambulance simulator as an interactive educational tool demonstrates a potential positive impact on improving clinical performance and learner satisfaction. Integrating such simulators into nursing and emergency medical training programs may represent a promising strategy to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical education, although its effectiveness in enhancing students’ readiness for real-world clinical situations remains to be fully established. © The Author(s) 2026.