Effect of emotionally complex roles on HIV-related simulated patients

Simulated patients (SPs) have participated successfully in nursing and medical education. The SPs portraying stressful situations may have psychological or physiological effects for several days after their performance; however, long-term effects have not been well documented in the literature. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of interpreting roles related to HIV among SPs. A qualitative descriptive approach was used for this study. Questionnaires with open-ended questions were conducted immediately after the interpretation of HIV-related roles and a year later by 10 SPs. In addition, a focus group was run a year later using a preestablished interview guide. As a result of direct content analysis, 2 major themes emerged: effects of interpreting roles relating to HIV and complexity of the roles. The findings of this study stress that interpreting an HIV-related role produces emotional, behavioral, and physical effects in SPs, at any stage during the training or performance, and has a long-term impact on their perception of their personal health and risk.