The benefits of simulation training, including its accuracy, realism, safety, and interactivity, make it a highly personalized medium or program. In this training, educators are placed in the position of patients using mannequins, computer software, or human subjects (Hegland et al., 2017). Common simulation training methods include virtual reality simulation (VRS), standardized patients (SPs) simulation, high-fidelity simulation (HFS), and role-play (Hall, 2022; Stanis, 2023). A body of research has demonstrated that simulation training can serve as a compensatory mechanism for inadequate interaction in conventional instructional methods, which are often characterized by didactic and memorization-based teaching approaches (Li, Huang, et al., 2023; Li, Tang, et al., 2023). Simulation training has been shown to enhance students' clinical practice abilities, foster a more intimate nurse-patient relationship, and reduce the occurrence of adverse events (Akselbo et al., 2019; Del Vecchio et al., 2022). However, a notable proportion of undergraduate nursing students have expressed discontent with the efficacy of simulation training. Their experiences are characterized by a range of challenges, including feelings of anxiety, difficulties in fully engaging with the training material, and significant time investment that hinders the attainment of the anticipated training outcomes (Hu et al., 2023).

A diversity of experiences and feelings have been documented among undergraduate nursing students in the context of simulation training. The preponderance of positive experiences has given rise to a notable challenge: the articulation of the challenges and issues encountered during simulation training from the perspective of undergraduate nursing students. Hence, the aims of this study are to enhance comprehension of the negative experiences encountered during simulation training from the perspective of undergraduate nursing students, to explore the methods to cope with the difficulties and challenges of simulation training application, and to provide a reference for building a safe, convenient and efficient nursing simulation training program.