Using standardized mental health patient simulations to increase critical thinking and confidence in undergraduate nursing students

Purpose: The purpose of the activity described in this article is to engage undergraduate nursing students un-dertaking a mental health course in active learning that allows them to practice clinical decision-making and higher-order learning. A secondary goal is to increase students' comfort level with interviewing and interacting with mental health patients.Methods: Simulated interviews were performed with two standardized patients (SPs), one presenting with depression with suicidal tendencies and the other with generalized anxiety disorder. Students were given re-flections to assess the effectiveness of the simulations as a learning technique. These essays were evaluated using five-step thematic data analysis.Results: Students demonstrated a high level of engagement with the SPs which lead to a deeper level of under-standing and learning demonstrated in their reflections. All participating students felt more confident and better prepared for real-world encounters with mental health patients.Conclusions: Students want exposure and practice in mental health as there is widespread under confidence in performing patient interviews and assessments. The use of simulations involving standardized mental health patients have proven to increase confidence and better prepare students for future experience while also cir-cumventing any ethical issues which would be presented having non-licensed students assess actual mental health patients.