Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Nursing education faces the constant challenge of preparing future professionals to perform successfully in increasingly complex and demanding clinical environments. A crucial component of this preparation is evaluation and accreditation through degree examinations. Faced with this, educational institutions have resorted to innovative methodologies, such as simulation, to complement traditional teaching and improve preparation for these exams. OBJECTIVE. Evaluate the perception of nursing students regarding preparation for the title exam using virtual simulation. METHODOLOGY. Quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of 133 nursing students from a private University in Santiago de Chile who responded to a previously validated perception measurement instrument. RESULTS. Regarding participation in the simulated title exam and student performance, the results indicate a positive effect in terms of passing the exam. The majority of students positively evaluated the virtual platform in terms of its realism, ability to promote critical and reflective thinking, increased self-confidence, improvement in critical reasoning, and decision making. CONCLUSIONS. The results support the usefulness and acceptance of alternative teaching-learning methodologies such as virtual simulation in the preparation of future nurses, underlining its potential for improving student preparation for and successful completion of the title exam.