Students' Perspective on Simulation for Psychiatric Nurse Training

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Designing for Games, Simulations, and Virtual Learning Environments

Abstract

Therapeutic communication in psychiatric nursing is important as non-therapeutic conversations may endanger the safety of patients and nurses. For this reason, a tablet-based simulation was developed to help nursing students improve their therapeutic communication skills before entering clinical settings. Within an action-research project, we examined 68 nursing students’ perceptions and ratings of the usefulness of these simulations. Content analysis was applied to this feedback. These data and analyses reveal negative and positive aspects of the cases, with approximately 75% of feedback being positive. Negative feedback implies a need to carefully plan the timing of when scenarios are covered based on their complexity and knowledge requirements, while the main benefit was the additional practice and situated learning experience provided to students.

Authors

• Gokce Akcayir, University of Alberta

• Carrie Demmans Epp, University of Alberta

• Ann M. Mitchell, University of Pittsburgh

• Joe Horne, University of Nevada