Thai nursing students’ formative experiences of simulation-based learning: Implications for facilitation and debriefing

Objectives: This study examined how stress, role positioning, and facilitator feedback timing/tone interact to shape participation and culturally safe learning in simulation. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted as the qualitative strand of a broader mixed-methods project in an undergraduate nursing programme in Eastern Thailand. Between August and October 2024, 24 third- and fourth-year students participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews in Thai (face to face or via Zoom). Interviews lasted 45–60 minutes, were transcribed verbatim, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were developed. Entering a New Space framed simulation as a “third space” between classroom and ward, with heightened visibility and realism alongside culturally patterned restraint. Stress and Roles as Catalysts for Learning showed that pressure could sharpen focus yet narrow voice, especially when feedback felt abrupt or ill-timed. The Duality of Participation and Observation highlighted complementary learning routes: performers learned through accountable action under time constraints, while observers gained analytic perspective and re-read events in debriefing. Facilitation and Cultural Safety emphasised that calm guidance supported participation, whereas harsh correction often intensified silence linked to kreng-jai. Conclusion : SBL was experienced as more than technical practice; tone, timing, and role design mattered. Explicit observer objectives and structured debriefing may strengthen culturally safe participation and fair learning opportunities.