Theoretical framing of high-fidelity simulation with Carper's fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing.

Many nursing programs integrate high-fidelity simulation (HFS) into the curriculum. The manikins used are modeled to resemble humans and are programmed to talk and reproduce physiological functions via computer interfaces. When HFS design negates a theoretical framework consistent with the interpersonal and relational nature of nursing, it can problematically focus simulation on psychomotor skills and the physical body. This article highlights a theorized approach to HFS design informed by Carper's seminal work on the fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing (i.e., empirics, esthetics, personal knowing, and ethics). It also describes how a team of Canadian nurse educators adopted these patterns of knowing as a theoretical lens to frame scenarios, learning objectives, and debriefing probes in the context of maternal and newborn assessment. Institutions and practitioners can draw on Carper's work to facilitate focusing on the whole person and expanding the epistemological underpinnings of HFS in nursing and other disciplines.