Engaging Nursing Students in Mental Health Concepts Through Multiple Teaching Modalities

Abstract

Background: Utilizing multiple active learning strategies may facilitate knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and attitude regarding mental health concepts in nursing students.

Method: Faculty in an accelerated 12-month baccalaureate nursing program delivered mental health nursing concepts utilizing team-based learning (TBL), a video response assignment, faculty-led clinical in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, and a standardized patient simulation. Twenty-two nursing students (71%) voluntarily completed a faculty-derived instrument to evaluate the efficacy of each learning experience on knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and attitude.

Results: Students favored in-person clinical (73%-91%) and TBL (68%-77%) in terms of the perceived effectiveness to improve knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and attitude toward the mentally ill. Standardized patient experiences (45%-64%) were not rated as favorably but did fare better than video-response assignments (32%-45%).

Conclusion: Research is needed to provide a formal evaluation of mental health teaching modalities. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(6):359-363.].