The learning of technical skills must be initiated first by healthcare simulation to improve efficiency and ensure patient safety (Beal et al., 2017; Shin et al., 2015). The venous cannulation (VC) is a procedure that all healthcare providers must be able to perform. Venous cannulation is an important skill in nursing education that requires both theoretical knowledge and practical competence. The importance of practical experiences in the learning process is emphasized by the Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) (Kolb et al., 1984). The consequences of incorrect VC placement can include local complications such as hematoma, extravasation of perfusion fluid and puncture site infection. Procedural simulation on mannequin arms is an appropriate way to learn how to place a VC (Nestel et al., 2011). The healthcare simulation puts the learner in an environment almost like a hospital setting. The standardized patient (SP) is a medical simulation technique that replicates a hospital environment (Barrows, 1993). SP, considered as a high fidelity simulation, is a proven technique (Oh et al., 2015).

While SPs are trained actors who play patients for learning purposes, low fidelity simulation uses mannequins or task trainers to imitate the procedure. SPs are now an essential part of nursing education, providing an excellent setting for developing practical knowledge and skills (Barrows, 1993). Nursing students can access very realistic encounters through SP simulation learning (Barrows, 1993).

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to compare two simulation techniques in learning how to perform a VC (low fidelity simulation (LFS): the mannequin arm versus a high fidelity simulator: the SP) in terms of efficiency according to the National Health Service Hospitals in England (Loveday et al., 2014). The second purpose was to identify the predictive variables of successful VC after the second attempt.