Abstracts Category : Other

Can Simulation Utilizing Standardized Patients Ease Anxiety and Enhance Self-efficacy in Nursing Students Working With Patients Experiencing Mental Illness? A Pilot Study.

by Sandra A King

Executive Summary Problem In the United States (US), mental health disorders affect millions of adults and children each year Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (2016). A significant challenge facing nursing faculty, and students, is the shortage of psychiatric and mental health clinical placement sites. Due to the limited opportunities for hands-on experience, student nurses may miss opportunities to practice critical skills and gain knowledge in a supervised learning environment. This can result in increased anxiety and decreased efficacy when they encounter a patient with a mental illness or one that is in psychiatric crisis. Simulation allows students to practice low-frequency, high-stakes events that occur during routine and emergency health care that replicate experiences with patients with diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health conditions (Eta, Atanga, Atashill and DCruz, 2011; Redden, 2015). The question addressed by the project was: Can simulation using standardized patients ease anxiety and enhance self-efficacy in nursing students working with patients experiencing mental illness? Purpose To investigate the value of providing a simulation experience, utilizing standardized patients, to assess its effect on student knowledge, anxiety, and self-confidence as they prepare to enter their first community mental health clinical experience and work with patient experiencing emotional/mental illness. Current simulation frameworks and methodologies were used to assist community mental health students in recognizing signs of patient deterioration during psychiatric crisis or mental illness and developing vital skills transferable to other clinical practice areas. Goals The primary goal of the project was to provide senior-level Bachelor of Science (BSN) students with skills that can be transferred into a community mental health clinical setting to decrease student anxiety and enhance self-efficacy (self-confidence) leading to stronger clinical judgements. A secondary goal was to provide evidence-based practice findings related to the benefit of simulation in mental health nursing education and to implement these findings into nursing education practice. This study provides the potential for simulated learning in mental health education to become an evidence-based practice model for BSN nursing programs. Objectives The project evaluated participant demographics, knowledge, self-efficacy (self-confidence), and anxiety about working with patients with mental illness through pre- and post-tests, satisfaction and confidence surveys and evaluation of reflective comments. Plan This was a quasi-experimental study with random assignment to intervention and comparison groups. Twenty senior-level traditionally enrolled in a pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students, during Fall 2015, were randomly assigned to oneAdvisors/Committee Members: Cullen, Patricia L..