Effect of Psychiatric Nursing Simulation Practice Education Using Standardized Patients on Future Core Nursing Competencies in Nursing Students

Key Points

• This research aims to develop and apply a psychiatric nursing simulation practice education program using standardized patients to assess its impact on nursing students' future core competencies.
• Single-group pre-post design study using a quasi-experimental approach with 96 fourth-year nursing students from D University.
• The simulation education program utilized standardized patients over 6 sessions, each lasting 5 hours, totaling 30 hours.
• Data was collected from February 13 to March 14, 2025, and analyzed using SPSS 21.0 with descriptive statistics and paired t-tests.
• Significant improvement in critical thinking disposition (t=4.93, p<.001) after the program.
• Enhancement in psychiatric nursing competencies (t=6.41, p<.001) was observed post-intervention.
• Leadership skills improved (t=3.03, p<.003) and emotional competencies also showed significant enhancement (t=3.93, p<.001).

Abstract