Simulation-based education to support new graduate nurses during transition to practice in critical care: a mixed methods systematic review protocol

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to explore how simulation-based education can be used to support new graduate nurses' learning during their transition to practice in critical care settings. INTRODUCTION: Transition to practice is a period of challenge and change as new graduates address their knowledge-practice gaps. New graduate nurses are increasingly being hired into critical care settings. Critical care environments add an additional level of complexity to this transition, calling for strategies targeted to address the unique learning needs of new graduate nurses. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies that include new graduate nurses within their first 12 months of practice will be eligible for inclusion, as will studies that contain any form of in-person or technology-based simulation to support new graduate nurses' learning in any critical care setting (eg, emergency departments or any type of intensive care unit for any patient population). Studies will be eligible for inclusion if they evaluate participant learning or reactions to the simulation. METHODS: The systematic review will use the JBI convergent integrated methodology for mixed methods systematic reviews. The full search strategy will include CINAHL (EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Scopus, ERIC (Ovid), ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Premium, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Web of Science, and a search of gray literature. Two reviewers will independently screen titles, abstracts, and full texts according to predetermined eligibility criteria, and conflicts will be resolved through discussion or with a third reviewer. The quality of studies will be assessed using JBI appraisal tools. Quantitative data will be qualitized and assembled alongside qualitative findings and repeatedly analyzed to produce overall integrated findings. REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42024623090.