Standardized Patients Versus Mannequins in Mental Health Simulation.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Mental Health Nursing

Background:

• Mental health nursing simulation is valuable for developing student confidence, satisfaction, knowledge, and communication skills.
• Research comparing standardized patient (SP) simulation with mannequin-based simulation in mental health nursing is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of standardized patient simulation versus mannequin simulation in mental health nursing education.
• To explore differences in knowledge, clinical learning, clinical reasoning, communication, confidence, and learner satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A convenience sample of 178 senior baccalaureate nursing students participated.
• Students were divided into two groups: high-fidelity mannequin simulation (n=74) and standardized patient simulation (n=104).
• Data were collected using a knowledge assessment, the Satisfaction with Simulation Experience Scale (SSE), and a simulation evaluation survey.

Main Results:

• Knowledge levels increased in both simulation modalities.
• Standardized patient simulation resulted in significantly higher scores for clinical reasoning, clinical learning, communication, realism, and overall satisfaction compared to mannequins.
• Mannequin simulation also showed benefits but to a lesser extent in these key areas.

Conclusions:

• Both mannequin and standardized patient simulations are beneficial for mental health nursing knowledge acquisition.
• Standardized patient simulation demonstrates superior impact on clinical reasoning and communication skills in a safe, simulated environment.
• Further multisite research with larger samples and diverse mental health scenarios is recommended to validate these findings.