The Effect of Scenario-Based Simulation Training for Nutritional Counseling During Pregnancy on Nursing Students' Anxiety Levels, Self-Efficacy Perceptions, and Clinical Skill Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Participants and Sampling The study population consisted of undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, at Eskişehir Osmangazi University. The study sample comprised 52 nursing students who agreed to participate during the study period and met the eligibility criteria. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 26) or the control group (n = 26) using a simple randomization procedure.

The required sample size was determined using G*Power software (version 3.1.9.7). The calculation was based on a moderate-to-large effect size (d = 0.70), a significance level of α = .05, and a statistical power of 0.80. The analysis indicated that a minimum of 23 participants per group was required. Considering the possibility of missing data and participant attrition, the sample size was increased to 26 students per group.

Purposive sampling, a non-probability sampling method, was employed to recruit participants. This sampling strategy was selected to ensure the inclusion of nursing students who had received theoretical instruction in pregnancy nutrition counseling and were eligible to participate in the simulation-based educational intervention.

Eligible participants were undergraduate nursing students who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study and had not previously received simulation training on a similar topic. Students who failed to participate throughout the study or who submitted incomplete pretest or posttest questionnaires were excluded from the analysis.

Randomization and Blinding Participants were allocated to the intervention and control groups using a simple randomization procedure. After eligible and consenting students had been assigned identification numbers, a computer-generated random number sequence was used to allocate participants to either the intervention group (n = 26) or the control group (n = 26). The randomization process was performed by an independent researcher who was not directly involved in the study.