Communication and Human Patient Simulation in Psychiatric Nursing

Abstract

Communication is an integral component of nursing education and has been shown to improve health outcomes, patient compliance, and patient satisfaction. Psychiatric nursing emphasizes knowledge and utilization of communication skills. Nursing students often express anxiety and lack of confidence regarding communicating with patients diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses. Human patient simulation is one method that may be used for students to practice and become proficient with communication skills in a simulated environment. The authors of this article provide an overview of communication and psychiatric nursing as well as review of the current research related to the use of human patient simulation in nursing education.

Improving Chinese nursing students' communication skills by utilizing video-stimulated recall and role-play case scenarios to introduce them to the SBAR technique

“…Methods such as standardized patient videotaping and feedback, role-play, and computer instruction have been used to teach communication skills (Kameg et al, 2009). Several studies have used a combination of didactic and interactive instructional methods (such as role-play) to teach the SBAR technique and reveal positive effects on nurses' communication knowledge, attitudes, and ability (Ascano-Martin, 2008;Boyle & Kochinda, 2004;Velji et al, 2008;Kesten, 2011).…”

“…Communication is especially important for nurses, as they are the healthcare professionals who have the most direct care time with patients (Ascano-Martin, 2008). Being a frontline healthcare worker, nurses need to be adept at not only understanding the instructions for care to be given to a patient, but also working as an intermediate to convey information about the patient to other healthcare professionals, including other nurses, physicians, and members of other healthcare teams (Kameg, Mitchell, Clochesy, Howard, & Suresky, 2009). Opportunities to process, practice, and perfect communication with patients and other healthcare providers using common language is a crucial component of the curriculum for all nursing students (Boyle & Kochinda, 2004).…”

Effects of Teaching Communication Skills Using a Video Clip on a Smart Phone on Communication Competence and Emotional Intelligence in Nursing Students

“…In the nursing curriculum, psychiatric nursing emphasizes knowledge and utilization of communication skills, because this is a specialized area (Kameg, Mitchell, Clochesy, Howard, & Suresky, 2009). The specialization of the psychiatric ward can cause emotional stress on nursing students before the beginning of their psychiatric practice.…”

A study to evaluate the introduction of simulation as a teaching strategy for the mental health and learning disability fields of nursing in an undergraduate nursing curriculum within one higher education institution in the UK

“…The results indicated that an experience with HPS helped decrease the students' level of anxiety and they had an overall positive experience with simulation. Although research in the area of HPS with mental health and learning disability students is limited, the above results, and also a similar study by Kameg and colleagues, [17] support the use of simulation to lower student anxiety and improve self-efficacy in terms of communicating with a patient with learning disability or mental health problems.…”