Psychological safety as lived experience in critical care nursing simulation: A translational perspective

Keywords

psychological safety, nursing education, nursing simulation, nursing student, nurse well-being, transition to practice

Abstract

Background

Psychological safety, understood as learners’ perception that they can participate, make mistakes, and express uncertainty without fear of humiliation or judgment, remains insufficiently described as a lived experience despite its importance for learning and workforce sustainability.

Methods

Twelve undergraduate nursing students with critical care simulation experience completed semi-structured Zoom interviews. Participants were enrolled in the final semester of the program. Transcripts were de-identified and analyzed using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method within a Husserlian framework.

Results

Four themes emerged: (a) Anticipatory Vulnerability and Emotional Regulation, (b) Emotional Immersion and Affective Engagement in Simulated Care, (c) Relational Containment Through Debriefing, and (d) Integration and Carrying the Experience Forward.

Conclusions

Psychological safety was experienced as an evolving, relational process that shaped emotional readiness for practice. Viewed through a translational lens, psychological safety emerged as a process beginning before simulation, with implications for simulation design and learning.

Original Publication Citation

Drake, J., Harper, D., Madeux, A., Watson, A. L. (2026). Psychological safety as lived experience in critical care nursing simulation: A translational perspective. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 116, 101990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2026.101990

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2026-05-28

Publisher

Clinical Simulation in Nursing; Elsevier

Language

English

College

Nursing

Department

Nursing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

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