Introduction: Simulation is defined as the imitation of actual tasks, relations, equipment, behaviors, or some cognitive activities (1). The developments in technology and education have given the opportunity to spread simulation applications and tools in these areas and to be used in education. The US National Nursing Association recommends the use of information technology (2) in the basic competencies of nurse educators to facilitate students' learning and to support the learning process. Along with the developing technology, the use and development of new learning tools in nursing education have also increased (3).

Benefits of Using Simulation

The aim in nursing and midwifery is to graduate nurses and midwives who have gained cognitive and psychomotor behaviors, can combine theory and practice, have critical thinking in the learning process and have gained effective problem-solving skills. The use of simulation in education is of great benefit to students, patients, and educators. These are related to the increasing of medical knowledge, the improvement of Education methods in health, the improvement of patient safety, the availability of the student, the standardization of education, the repeatability and the realism level of simulation (1.4).

Universities using Simulation Training in Midwifery and Nursing Education

In a study conducted in 2015, it was reported that some universities in our country started to use simulation in nursing education, but it was limited due to the cost (5). In our research, it was determined that the number of universities using simulation in midwifery and nursing education in Turkey has reached 19 as of 2018 (6-23).

In the systematic examination conducted by Şendir and Doğan (2015), it was found out that the education using the simulation was effective in the acquisition of nursing knowledge and skills in 7 of the research; In 10 studies, after training using simulation, students' effective communication, critical thinking, self-efficacy and self-confidence levels were increased (24). A systematic review by Norman (2012) revealed that simulation contributed to the students’ knowledge, skills, and self-confidence, but there was a gap in the transfer of these skills to the clinical environment (25).

Conclusion: Simulation is a learning method that contributes to the development of the learners' skills, self-confidence, and communication techniques. It is an important part of education because it improves patient care and ensures patient safety. It should be actively used and disseminated as an educational method in nursing education.

Keywords: Education, simulation, simulation in nursing, simulation in midwifery