Using simulated patients as a learning strategy to support undergraduate nurses to develop patient-teaching skills

Background:
An increase in the number of patients with long-term conditions has required a greater focus on nurse-led educational interventions to enable patients to develop self-management strategies. However, patient education is frequently taken for granted, and nurses sometimes consider that their undergraduate training does not prepare them to participate in effective patient teaching.

Aim:
The study aimed to formatively evaluate a simulated role-play scenario facilitated with third-year nursing students to support the development of patient-teaching skills.

Method:
The study combined two approaches to simulation, using high-fidelity and mid-fidelity simulation scenarios sequentially. This enabled students (n=20) to apply the communication strategies learnt to both a skills-based procedural situation and a patient-teaching simulation. A five-item pro forma with four open questions and one closed question was used for formative evaluation.

Findings:
The results indicated that using a simulated patient to practise patient-teaching skills was perceived by the students to be a valuable method of learning that they could transfer to clinical practice.

Conclusion:
The findings suggested that facilitating learning with a simulated patient is useful in replicating authentic verbal and practical interactions with a patient in practice.