{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T23:09:05Z","timestamp":1781824145121,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776124800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nursing Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Emergency obstetric situations require rapid clinical decision-making, technical competence, and emotional preparedness to ensure safe and compassionate care for both mother and newborn. However, nursing students often have limited opportunities to experience such high-risk, low-frequency events during clinical placements. Simulation-based education has emerged as an effective strategy to prepare future nurses for caring in emergency contexts, allowing them to develop both technical and non-technical skills in a safe learning environment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a high-fidelity obstetric emergency simulation program on nursing students\u2019 knowledge, perceived safety, and learning experience. Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed, combining a quasi-experimental pretest\u2013posttest assessment without a control group and qualitative analysis of open-ended reflections. Eighty-two third-year nursing students participated in two simulation sessions addressing obstetric emergencies such as breech birth, shoulder dystocia, out-of-hospital delivery, eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and maternal cardiac arrest. Data were collected using validated instruments measuring knowledge, perceived safety, and satisfaction and self-confidence in learning, and were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and thematic analysis. Results: Significant improvements were observed in specific knowledge areas related to complex obstetric maneuvers and in their perceived safety when managing emergency situations (p &lt; 0.001, r &gt; 0.40). Participants reported high levels of satisfaction and confidence in learning. Qualitative findings highlighted increased emotional preparedness, improved clinical reasoning, and recognition of the importance of teamwork and reflective debriefing in emergency care contexts. Conclusions: High-fidelity simulation appears to be an effective educational strategy for preparing nursing students to provide safe and confident care in obstetric emergencies. Integrating simulation into nursing curricula can strengthen both technical competence and the emotional readiness required for caring in urgent and high-pressure clinical situations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nursrep16040137","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T14:24:58Z","timestamp":1776176698000},"page":"137","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Preparing Nursing Students for Obstetric Emergencies: Effects of High-Fidelity Simulation on Knowledge, Confidence and Learning"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0467-2384","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marta","family":"Fern\u00e1ndez Idiago","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Red Cross University School of Nursing, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5801-4857","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan Francisco","family":"Velarde-Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Red Cross University School of Nursing, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Research Group on Socio-Health Needs in the Care of Populations at Risk of Social Exclusion, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Humanities and Qualitative Research in Health Sciences Group (Hum&QRinHS), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28922 Alcorc\u00f3n, Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Nursing Care Research Group, Gregorio Mara\u00f1\u00f3n Health Research Institute (IiSGM), 28007 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8304-9093","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Oscar","family":"Arrogante","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"InveCuid Research Group: Care Research Group, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"CENASim Research Group: Research Group in Nursing Care, Nutrition, Food, and Clinical Simulation, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8606-1415","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ignacio","family":"Zaragoza-Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"InveCuid Research Group: Care Research Group, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"CENASim Research Group: Research Group in Nursing Care, Nutrition, Food, and Clinical Simulation, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2084-3051","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beatriz","family":"\u00c1lvarez-Embarba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Red Cross University School of Nursing, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Research Group on Socio-Health Needs in the Care of Populations at Risk of Social Exclusion, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"IdiPAZ Research Group: Frailty, Pattern of Multimorbidity and Mortality in the Elderly Population Living in the Community, 28046 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4018-9931","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Victor","family":"Fern\u00e1ndez-Alonso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Red Cross University School of Nursing, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Research Group on Socio-Health Needs in the Care of Populations at Risk of Social Exclusion, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Nursing Care Research Group, Gregorio Mara\u00f1\u00f3n Health Research Institute (IiSGM), 28007 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3557-375X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leticia","family":"L\u00f3pez-Pedraza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"e43908","article-title":"Simulation-Based Education for Enhancing Obstetric Emergency Response: A Needs Impact Evaluation","volume":"15","author":"Alalade","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alharbi, A., Nurfianti, A., Mullen, R.F., McClure, J.D., and Miller, W.H. 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