A Systematic Review of the Use of Standardized Patients as a Simulation Modality in Nursing Education

Abstract

AIM The objective of the study was to search, extract, appraise, and synthesize studies using standardized patients (SPs) in nursing academia to determine how this modality of simulation is being used. BACKGROUND SPs are a common simulation modality used in nursing education. METHOD This review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. Five databases were searched as well as keywords to retrieve nonindexed citations for the period January 2011 to September 2016. The inclusion criteria included nurses, a simulated experience with SPs, and original research published in English. RESULTS Sixty-five studies were identified and analyzed. CONCLUSION More randomized controlled trials and studies with power analyses and validated measurement instruments are needed. Studies that compare SPs to high-fidelity simulators are also desired to determine optimal student learning outcomes and standardize best practices in simulation.

The utilization of simulated patients for teaching and learning in the pharmacy curriculum: exploring pharmacy students’ and recent alumni’s perceptions using mixed-methods approach

“…An SP is defined as an actor/actress who is trained to represent a patient during a clinical encounter with a healthcare provider or a healthcare professional student [ 3 ]. The use of SPs is considered to be a significant resource for teaching and assessing clinical skills, including physical examination, communication, data gathering, patient counseling, and education [ 4 , 5 ]. The published literature has documented the benefits of the utilization of SPs compared to the utilization of faculty member or peer student actors portraying the role of patients in medical education [ 4 , 6 ].…”

“…The published literature has documented the benefits of the utilization of SPs compared to the utilization of faculty member or peer student actors portraying the role of patients in medical education [ 4 , 6 ]. Studies have also found that incorporating SPs in courses where communication is a major learning outcome resulted in better student performance in different health-related disciplines including nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and physical and occupational therapy [ 5 , 7 – 11 ]. It is believed that the utilization of SP method provide pharmacy educators with a tool for implementing communication skills in the practice of pharmacy and will serve as a basis for implementing communication skills development programs; and this will help students to excel in problem-based scenarios and real life simulation [ 12 ].…”

Evaluation of undergraduate students’ nursing assessment and communication skills through an objective structured clinical examination within a high-fidelity simulation using a student-simulated patient†

“…The integration of feedback and reflection increased the students' abilities to construct knowledge from multiple sources and make a safe and sound decision. 16 The OSCEs within high-fidelity simulations that deployed SSPs enhanced students' understanding and respect of diverse cultures and religions and additionally minimized student and evaluator variation in the assessment of clinical skills. 13…”

Comparing the effect of standardized patient-based education and feedback lecture on midwives' knowledge and practice in counseling screening for fetal malformations

“…[ 15 ] Standardized patient-based education enables communication techniques to be learned using standardized patients without harming real patients. [ 16 ] The benefits of using it include accessibility at any time, The same issues and problems of the disease for all learners, improved self-esteem, and general communication and emotional ability. [ 17 ] The disadvantages include the cost and time involved in preparing standardized patient scenarios and preparing the required human resources.…”