Partnering with Persons Living with Bipolar Disorder to Develop an Authentic Virtual Simulation.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Mental Health Care
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• A recognized gap exists in preparing nurses for collaborative care with individuals experiencing mental health conditions.
• Integrating lived experience expertise into nursing education enhances holistic, client-centered care approaches.
• Current educational models may not adequately address the complexities of mental health care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development process of a virtual simulation module for nursing education.
• To create an open-access, person-centered virtual simulation in partnership with individuals with lived experience.
• To address the need for improved nurse preparedness in mental health collaboration.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative team, including individuals with lived experience, developed a virtual simulation module.
• The development process spanned four months, focusing on authentic, person-centered design.
• An open-access virtual simulation was created as a scalable educational tool.

Main Results:

• A high-quality, open-access virtual simulation module was successfully developed within four months.
• The project yielded an authentic and meaningful person-centered simulation experience.
• The virtual simulation provides a safe environment for experiential learning.

Conclusions:

• Virtual simulations developed in partnership with individuals with lived experience are effective educational tools.
• This person-centered virtual simulation enhances nursing students' preparedness for mental health collaboration.
• The developed module offers a scalable solution for experiential learning in nursing education.