The use of high fidelity simulation (HFS) as an educational tool is already well grounded in the academic and clinical health care context. There has been an exponential growth in its use over the past decade, the basis for which is well documented in the literature. Despite this increase there has been little research which explores the lived experience of HFS for its participants, especially the meaning of the experience for the new graduate nurse (NGN). By gaining a better understanding of the nature of the phenomenon as experienced by NGN, methods and strategies can be developed to advance HFS as an educational tool in undergraduate nursing education. This signifies the importance of this study to explore the lived experience of HFS for its participants. Semi structured interviews were carried out with eight NGN and their narratives were explored utilising van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Three themes which uncovered the meaning of HFS for the NGN were identified: between the real and the unreal, being watched and being assessed and the experience of learning. There are several recommendations from this study. This includes the integration of a reality framework in HFS to enhance the engagement and learning outcomes of participants. Further attention must be paid to the preparation, debriefing and the position and frequency of HFS within the undergraduate nursing curriculum to further develop learning outcomes. The key finding and recommendation of this study is the need for the increased use of HFS throughout the undergraduate nursing programme.