Incorporating a Psychiatric Telehealth Simulation in a Family Nurse Practitioner Curriculum

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Behavioral Health
• Primary Care Medicine

Background:

• High prevalence of mental health disorders in primary care settings.
• Increased challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic necessitate enhanced training for family nurse practitioners.
• Need for improved skills in interviewing, client engagement, and safety promotion for mental health care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a telehealth simulation learning experience for training nurse practitioner students in primary care mental health.
• To assess the impact of simulation on students' confidence in managing common mental health conditions.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a telehealth simulation in a non-clinical behavioral health course.
• Inclusion of common primary care mental health diagnoses: general anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder.
• Formative evaluation by licensed nurse practitioners and measurement of student confidence using the Simulation Effectiveness Tool.

Main Results:

• Formative evaluation indicated a need for improvement in interviewing, client engagement, and safety skills.
• Student confidence in managing mental health encounters increased after the simulation experience.
• Telehealth simulation was identified as an effective training resource.

Conclusions:

• Simulation learning experiences are valuable for preparing nurse practitioner students to treat mental health disorders.
• Telehealth simulation offers a viable method for enhancing skills in behavioral health for primary care settings.
• Further training is essential for family nurse practitioners to meet the growing mental health demands.