Objective:

To analyse satisfaction with high fidelity clinical simulation (HFCS) prior to clinical practice versus after clinical practice in nursing students at a public university in Chile.

Methods:

An analytical observational cross-sectional cohort study was conducted. The sample consisted of 178 regular third and fourth year nursing students from a public university in Chile. A questionnaire of sociodemographic and academic background was used for data collection. The level of satisfaction of nursing students with the SCAF was determined by applying the instrument "Survey of quality and satisfaction of clinical simulation". This instrument was applied twice to the same students: before clinical practice (evaluation I-EVI) and after clinical practice (evaluation II-EVII).

Results:

The evaluation of the HFCS by the students obtained a total score and scores for all dimensions classified as satisfied in both evaluations. When comparing the total scores and scores for all dimensions, it was observed that these significantly decreased in EVII.

Conclusion:

Nursing students demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the HFCS in both evaluations. However, a significant decrease in total scores and scores for all dimensions was observed in the second evaluation following clinical experience. This leads us to reflect on new challenges, such as increasing the realism of the HFCS, offering more opportunities for student participation, and clarifying learning objectives.