Standardized patient simulation in undergraduate mental health nursing education: A scoping review

A global shortage of trained mental health professionals and pervasive stigma towards individuals with mental health conditions have intensified the need to prepare nurses entering practice with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to care for patients with mental health conditions (MHCs). Simulation with standardized patients can be used in undergraduate mental health nursing courses to provide students with realistic opportunities to practice skills and improve self-efficacy.

To map the scope of literature available regarding the use of standardized patient simulation in traditional undergraduate mental health nursing education.

A scoping review of published research between 2016 and 2024 was conducted as per the JBI Scoping Review Framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. This included systematic search of the electronic databases CINAHL, Medline, and PsycINFO, and a hand search of bibliographies. Study selection followed a three-stage review process. Studies were included if standardized patient simulation was used in the mental health nursing course in a traditional undergraduate nursing program. At the conclusion of stage three, 29 studies were selected for data extraction and charted to facilitate identification of themes in the research.

The scope of available research between 2016 and 2024 supports standardized patient simulation positively impacted student preparedness for clinical experiences by increasing confidence and decreasing student anxiety. Students valued realism, a safe environment for practicing skills, and more varied experiences than provided by clinical experiences alone. Two studies measured the effect of standardized patient simulation on student attitudes towards patients with mental illness.

The use of standardized patient simulation in mental health nursing education has been studied at universities around the world and across study designs to improve knowledge, skills, confidence, and preparedness for clinical experiences. The addition of standardized patient simulation to mental health nursing clinical courses may reduce negative attitudes towards patients with mental health conditions. Future research on the impact of standardized patient simulation on empathy and attitudes of student nurses towards patients with mental illness is needed.