Simulation-Based Assessment of Biomedical Engineering Student Competency at Nigerian Universities Using Clinical Equipment Trainers

Simulation-based education for biomedical engineering students provides a structured, safe environment for developing clinical equipment maintenance and troubleshooting competencies that cannot be adequately developed in theoretical classroom settings, and assessment of simulation-based learning effectiveness in Nigerian universities fills a significant pedagogical evidence gap. This study assesses the effectiveness of simulation-based biomedical engineering education using clinical equipment trainers at two Nigerian universities offering biomedical engineering programmes, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Nigeria. A quasi-experimental design was used, with fifty students across both universities allocated to either a simulation-based training group or a conventional tutorial-based comparison group for a ten-week module on medical device maintenance and troubleshooting. The simulation-based group trained using cardiac monitor, infusion pump, and ventilator equipment trainers with inserted fault scenarios. Competency was assessed at baseline, post-module, and six-week follow-up using a validated practical competency assessment instrument measuring fault identification speed, fault diagnosis accuracy, and safety procedure compliance. Simulation-based group students showed significantly higher post-module scores on all three competency dimensions compared to the conventional training group. At six-week follow-up, retention of fault diagnosis accuracy was significantly higher in the simulation group. Student satisfaction ratings for simulation-based training were significantly higher than for conventional training. Qualitative interview data identified increased confidence in handling real clinical equipment as the most frequently cited benefit of simulation-based training. The study recommends investment in clinical equipment trainer resources at all Nigerian biomedical engineering programmes. Keywords: simulation-based education, biomedical engineering, competency assessment, clinical equipment trainers, Nigerian universities.