Prebriefing techniques that promote psychological safety and clinical judgment in nursing students

A peer-reviewed study by Odreman et al. (2025) compared the impact of three different prebriefing techniques in terms of their efficacy in developing nursing students’ psychological safety and clinical judgment in nursing simulation. 

The research followed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) experimental design with multiple post-tests. A quantitative approach was employed to measure both psychological safety and clinical judgment across three separate prebriefing technique groups. The research involved the random assignment of 38 practical nursing students to one of three prebriefing conditions: traditional verbal report, guided concept mapping, or a guided VR scenario using UbiSim. Prebriefing was followed by a standardized simulation skills scenario.

Results

• Psychological Safety improved by 72% with prebriefing in UbiSim VR as compared to traditional methods

• Clinical Judgment scores were 57% higher with prebriefing in UbiSim VR as compared to traditional methods

The study found a statistically significant positive correlation between psychological safety and clinical judgment when using VR prebriefing. This supports UbiSim as an evidence-based solution that enhances both psychological safety and clinical judgment - two critical factors in preparing nursing students for clinical practice.

Key Findings

The group using prebriefing with UbiSim VR consistently demonstrated superior outcomes compared to both Traditional and Concept Map approaches. The VR prebriefing participants showed significantly higher psychological safety scores and clinical judgment abilities.

The research found that "as psychological safety improves, there are other impacts, perhaps as a result of a decrease in acute anxiety or an increase in perceived self-efficacy." 

Participants who used UbiSim VR appeared to have "a clear mental framework for the clinical scenario," and demonstrated "an increased readiness to deviate from their anticipated plans" to respond to patient needs.