Clinical judgment, vital for safe nursing practice, requires flexibility and the ability to recognize relevant aspects of unfamiliar situations, interpret the meanings, and respond appropriately. Simulation may help fill the need for safe practitioners by providing opportunities for assessment and clinical judgment as well as contributing to knowledge transfer from the classroom and clinical settings. One research priority recommended by the National League for Nursing includes the examination and use of technology, virtual experiences, informatics, and simulation on student learning affecting clinical practice. Although research exists on judgment and simulation, the need for learning outcome studies related to nursing remains. Research studies utilizing lower cost methods to assess clinical judgment are needed.

This two-group posttest only experimental study examined the effect of a video-taped simulation vignette and a written case study on the clinical judgment of junior level prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students. The educational intervention was based on the Advancing Excellence for Seniors fall scenario developed by the National League for Nursing. Participants completed demographic questionnaires, a reflective student questionnaire, and the Morse Fall Scale. Development of the reflective student questionnaire and reflective student rubric, used in this study, were guided by Tanner's Clinical Judgment Model and Lasater's Clinical Judgment Rubric. The clinical judgment of a convenience sample of 174 junior level prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students was assessed using the reflective student questionnaire and evaluated using the reflective student rubric.

Statistical methods used to analyze the data included descriptive statistics and independent t-tests. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical judgment scores between the experimental and control group but ancillary analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in clinical judgment scores between participants in the second semester of the junior year compared to participants in the first semester of the junior year.

The findings of this study contribute to the growing body of nursing science literature regarding clinical judgment and the use of Tanner's Clinical Judgment Model and the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric. Utilization of these findings could guide educational strategies to foster clinical judgment development in nursing students and ultimately produce better prepared novice nurses for the practice setting. Utilizing newly modified instruments of this type could provide nurse managers with valuable information about the level of clinical judgment of the new graduate nurse. This information may provide direction as to the content and length of mentorship programs and the type of unit a novice is best suited.