Abstract
BACKGROUND: Early clinical exposure (ECE) has been shown to improve clinical skills, but several factors limit its implementation. OBJECTIVE: To compare the use of simulation-based education (SCE) and ECE in improving respiratory care students' clinical skills in laboratory settings. METHODOLOGY: This experimental prospective study was conducted among respiratory care students at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Students from one batch were allocated to the ECE group, and students from another batch were allocated to the SCE group to concurrently undergo clinical training. On completion of the course, students completed the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI), and their clinical practice course grades were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 72 students from the two batches completed the CLEI and clinical performance evaluation; 32 (45%) were female. The mean age was similar across both groups. Between the groups, there was no statistical difference in the mean clinical grade (95% CI) (ECE: 167.29 [164.74-169.84], SCE: 166.88 [164.12-169.65]; P = 0.837) and the CLEI score (ECE: 128.25 ± 3.9, SCE: 123.08 ± 4.2; P = 0.381). Multivariable linear regression analyses revealed no significant difference in the clinical performance grades (β = -0.09; 95% CI: -0.78-0.59; P = 0.788). CONCLUSION: The study found no significant difference in the performance between ECE and SCE in laboratory settings, indicating that SCE is a viable alternative to ECE in RC clinical training. Studies with larger cohorts are required to corroborate this finding.