Effectiveness of a multimodal intervention and the simulation flow to improve empathy and attitudes towards older adults in nursing students: A crossover randomised controlled trial

This repository contains the anonymized dataset (e.g., SPSS .sav) used in the article Effectiveness of a multimodal intervention and the simulation flow to improve empathy and attitudes towards older adults in nursing students: A crossover randomised controlled trial (Nurse Education in Practice, 2022), DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2022.103430.The study developed a multimodal simulation-based educational intervention (guided by the NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory and person-centred care principles) to improve undergraduate nursing students’ empathy and attitudes toward older adults, and tested whether the order of activities (simulation flow) influenced outcomes.Study design, setting, and participants: A three-period crossover randomised controlled trial was conducted with third-year nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Cádiz (Spain) enrolled in “Gerontology and Geriatric Nursing”. The intervention ran February–June 2019.Initially 73 students were allocated; 70 students were included after losses (illness/work-related non-attendance). Randomisation and groups (simulation flow)Students were assigned using a computer-generated randomisation list.Experimental Group 1 (EG1): Geriatric Nursing Theory → CGA seminar wearing an age simulation suit → interaction/storytelling with an older adult.Control group received the CGA seminar without the age simulation suit initially, and then crossed over (for ethical reasons) to become Delayed Experimental Group 2 (EG2), receiving the same components in a different order.The multimodal intervention added:A Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) seminar, with EG1 using a complex ageing suit (GERonTologic simulator, GERT) and CG/EG2 not wearing it at that stage. GERT includes multiple components simulating sensory and motor limitations (e.g., visual field narrowing, hearing loss, joint stiffness, reduced strength/coordination).An in-person interaction/storytelling session with a 75-year-old volunteer, who shared life experiences and living with chronic illness; students could ask questions and debriefing occurred immediately after the activity.Data collection and outcome measuresRepeated measurements were collected across the study timeline (pre- and post-tests).Empathy: Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Student version (JSE-S), 20 items, 7-point Likert scale, total score 20–140 (higher = greater empathy).Attitudes toward older adults: Kogan’s Attitudes toward Older People scale (KAOP), 34 items (17 positive/17 negative), total score 34–238, with 136 as a neutral attitude reference point.Statistical analysis: Analyses included Shapiro–Wilk (normality) and Levene’s test (homogeneity), descriptive statistics, and between-/within-group comparisons using Mann–Whitney U / Student t-tests, Chi-square/Fisher, and paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank for repeated measures, with p < 0.05 and effect sizes reported. Analyses were conducted in SPSS v22.0.Ethical and legal considerations: The study reports compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki, protection of anonymity and confidentiality, and that informed consent was required; it states there were no potential risks for participants. It also notes that, for ethical reasons, all students ultimately received the intervention.