Abstract

Clinical simulation is a progressive teaching approach in health sciences, providing a realistic and safe environment for students to practice essential skills. This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess students’ perceptions of clinical simulation in nutrition, occupational therapy, and kinesiology programs. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 213 students, and content validity was evaluated by 22 experts. The final questionnaire comprised 18 Likert-scale items across three dimensions: simulation structure, learning outcomes, and feedback. Factor analysis identified five components explaining 71.68% of the variance, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.913, indicating strong internal reliability. Students rated the alignment of simulation with course objectives highly, with a mean score of 4.77 out of 5. Significant differences in perceptions were observed among disciplines (p<0.001), though no significant interaction was found between career and dimensions. The validated questionnaire is a reliable tool for evaluating clinical simulation’s role in health science education, confirming its effectiveness for skill development. These findings support the continued use of simulation-based learning in health curricula to enhance student readiness for clinical practice. © 2025 Sociedad Chilena de Nutrición, Bromatología y Toxicología.