Progressive psychomotor and reflective learning of nursing master's students through simulated surgical experiences.

Abstract

Advanced training in surgical nursing has demanded a combination of technical skills, body awareness, and ethical judgment. Therefore, high-fidelity surgical simulation has emerged as a privileged space for experiential learning, allowing master's students to develop psychomotor skills in a safe and controlled environment. From this perspective, the present study analyzed the phenomenological experience of psychomotor development in advanced surgical simulation among nursing master's students, focusing on the design of formative and evaluative practices based on bodily, reflective, and professional experience. A qualitative analysis with a hermeneutic phenomenological design was adopted, involving master's students in the Surgical Nursing program. Data collection included interviews, non-participant observation, and reflective journals. The analysis was performed using inductive coding and triangulation, employing Harrow's psychomotor taxonomy to interpret the progression from imitation to the naturalization of the technical movement. A gradual process of psychomotor transformation was evident, in which the master's students progressed from rigid and dependent movements to precise and articulated gestures. Deliberate practice, reflective feedback, and faculty guidance facilitated the integration of technique, body awareness, and professional ethics. Psychomotor learning in advanced simulation has transcended the acquisition of technical skills, becoming a space for interdisciplinary training. The results have supported the design of pedagogical practices that promote body awareness, ethical judgment, and reflective professional competence, with potential applicability in postgraduate nursing education.