Nursing students' perceptions on the use of clinical simulation in psychiatric and mental health nursing by means of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)

Abstract

Background: In view of the rising incidence and prevalence of mental disorders, and the stigma often attached to persons with these pathologies, the question of specific, appropriate training for nursing students is one of great importance. Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and clinical simulation may provide a useful means of introducing the student to this environment.

Objectives: To examine the perceptions and satisfaction of nursing students after their participation in a targeted mental health course in which the main specialist skills were acquired via clinical simulation.

Design: A quantitative, descriptive, transversal study was conducted, in which the participants in a mental health course completed a questionnaire on their satisfaction with the experience.

Participants: The study population consisted of 141 nursing students enrolled in a mental health course and currently in the third year of their Nursing Degree studies at the University of Málaga (Spain).

Results: The overall satisfaction expressed was more than 8 out of 10 (mean score = 8.43, SD = 1.25) and the students' satisfaction with specific aspects of the procedure exceeded 4 out of 5. The study results show that these nursing students considered the methodology in question to be useful preparation for clinical practice (mean score = 4.78, SD = 0.45), that they appreciated the participation of an expert (mean score = 4.72, SD = 0.60) and that receiving the opinions of their peers about their performance was an enriching part of the experience (mean score = 4.54, SD = 0.64).

Conclusions: The participants reported a high degree of satisfaction with the OSCE procedure and observed that this method should be implemented more frequently. Debriefing is viewed as a vital contribution to the learning process and to the participants' satisfaction. However, further research is needed to study the impact of stress and anxiety on the acquisition of skills via OSCEs.

Keywords: Clinical simulation; Mental health; Nursing; Psychiatric nursing; Simulation training.