Virtual Simulation versus Mannequin‑Based Training in Medical Education: Implications for Hand Hygiene and Infection Prevention
Keywords:
virtual simulation, mannequin simulation, medical education, nursing education, hand hygiene, infection prevention, clinical competence, multimodal trainingAbstract
Virtual simulation has rapidly emerged as a flexible and scalable modality in medical and nursing education, yet its comparative effectiveness against mannequin‑based and standardized‑patient training remains debated. This narrative review synthesizes recent randomized and quasi‑experimental evidence on clinical competence, learner experience, and downstream hygiene‑related behaviors, with a focus on hand hygiene and infection prevention. A recent meta‑analysis including 27 randomized trials found no significant differences between virtual simulation and mannequin or real‑person simulations for knowledge, procedural skills, clinical reasoning, or communication, although nursing participants showed superior procedural skill acquisition with virtual platforms. Simulation‑based training in general improves clinical performance, decision‑making, and confidence compared with traditional lectures,. In parallel, multilevel, theory‑driven interventions—including feedback, reminders, and participatory training—are the most effective strategies to increase hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers, suggesting that simulation could be embedded into such frameworks. Integrating virtual simulation into infection‑prevention curricula may offer cost‑effective, high‑fidelity education without compromising learning outcomes.
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