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Background: Simulation-based education is a teaching and learning approach that can enhance learning experiences for students on healthcare programmes. Within undergraduate nursing and midwifery education, simulation can support students in developing graduate attributes necessary to become practice-ready professionals. This paper reports on the evaluation of a simulation-based education initiative, which was introduced to support final year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students in preparation for their upcoming clinical internship in practice. Methods: This study aimed to evaluate a simulation-based education initiative from the perspectives of final year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students (N = 95). An online survey, using the validated Simulation Effectiveness Tool – Modified (SET-M), was distributed to final year nursing and midwifery students at one university in Ireland. This study was conducted and reported in line with the Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies (CROSS). Results: The results of the study highlight final year nursing and midwifery students' perceptions, experiences, and satisfaction with learning in a simulated environment. Students reported their simulation-based learning experiences as worthwhile, motivating, and as important opportunities to build on previous learning, increase confidence and gain experience in preparation for real-life practice. Students reported feeling more confident in their assessment skills, in providing care and interventions in responding to changes in a person's health status. All students reported that the simulation-based learning experiences enabled them to think more critically about the clinical case scenarios and critically question their actions and decision-making processes. Pre-briefing and debriefing sessions were highlighted as important aspects of the simulation which helped to increase student confidence and cultivate meaningful learning. Conclusion: Simulation-based education is a valuable teaching and learning modality, particularly for final year students who are transitioning to real-life clinical practice. Student-centred simulation-based learning experiences can cultivate professional development and support learners in their transition from university student to healthcare professional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prisoners carry a greater burden of physical, communicable and psychiatric disease compared to the general population. Prison health care structures are complex and provide challenges and opportunities to engage a marginalised and poorly served group with health care including Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) screening, assessment and treatment. Optimising HCV management in prisons is a public health priority. Nurses are the primary healthcare providers in most prisons globally. Understanding the barriers and facilitators to prisoners engaging in HCV care from the perspectives of nurses is the first step in implementing effective strategies to eliminate HCV from prison settings. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers and facilitators to HCV screening and treatment in Irish prisons from a nurse perspective and inform the implementation of a national prison-based HCV screening program. Methods: A qualitative study using focus group methodology underpinned by grounded theory for analysis in a national group of nurse managers (n = 12). Results: The following themes emerged from the analysis; security and safety requirements impacting patient access, staffing and rostering issues, prison nurses' skill set and concerns around phlebotomy, conflict between maintaining confidentiality and concerns for personal safety, peer workers, prisoners' lack of knowledge, fear of treatment and stigma, inter-prison variations in prisoner health needs and health service delivery and priority, linkage to care, timing of screening and stability of prison life. Conclusions: Prison nurses are uniquely placed to identify barriers and facilitators to HCV screening and treatment in prisoners and inform changes to health care practice and policy that will optimise the public health opportunity that incarceration provides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]