Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to compare clinical simulation with a standardized patient with rapid-cycle deliberate practice in knowledge acquisition, perception of experience and scenario design in the care of patients with suspected stroke. METHODS: a randomized clinical trial conducted between 2022 and 2023 involving 134 undergraduate nursing students. After a theoretical class, participants were randomly assigned to one group. A questionnaire was administered before and after the practical sessions to assess knowledge, in addition to the Educational Practices Questionnaire and the Simulation Design Scale. RESULTS: the groups showed significant improvement in knowledge (p<0.001), with no difference between them (p=1.0). Rapid-cycle deliberate practice obtained a better assessment regarding design (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: the strategies are effective and recommended in nursing education, although rapid-cycle deliberate practice showed advantages in student engagement. Universal Trial Number: U1111-1295-1246.