Designing and implementing a metacognitive model in healthcare simulation

Simulation-based education is an evidence-based and widely used pedagogical approach for acquiring clinical skills. However, simulations often take place in isolated and controlled environments, which limits the transfer of knowledge to real clinical practice. Although factors such as simulation fidelity and multidisciplinary collaboration can improve the transfer of learning outcomes to clinical settings, the cognitive and emotional demands of clinical practice are often overlooked. To optimize the transition from simulation to bedside patient care, students need to develop metacognitive abilities to monitor and regulate their cognitive and emotional processes. The article emphasizes the importance of metacognition and presents insights from the development of a conceptual metacognitive model and its implementation in simulation-based education.