Using a Trained Actor to Model Mental Health Nursing Care

Although nurse educators have integrated simulation with human actors into nursing curricula, simulation remains a relatively infrequent pedagogy in mental health nursing. This article describes the implementation of simulation using a professional actor to prepare students for their clinical rotation. Students were exposed to fundamental aspects of nursing practice such as therapeutic communication as well as high-risk clinical issues. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the simulation appears to be beneficial for conveying concepts regarding high-risk clinical issues that students will not likely encounter during their clinical rotations. Implications for continued use of simulation and directions for research are discussed.