Nursing Students’ Perspective about Role – Play as a Teaching Strategy in Psychiatric Nursing

Abstract

Role – play can be an effective teaching strategy in psychiatric nursing if the role – plays are appropriately structured and formulated on the basis of meeting the course objectives. The purpose of the current study was to investigate nursing students’ perspective about role – play as a teaching strategy in psychiatric nursing. A descriptive correlation, cross – sectional research design was utilized to conduct the current study. A 20 items questionnaire survey was completed by a convenience sample of 139 nursing students affiliated to College of Nursing (CON – R), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences – Riyadh (KSAU – HS) enrolled in psychiatric nursing course. Results of the current study concluded that role – play proven to be an effective tool for teaching psychiatric nursing. Although it initially creates anxiety and fear, psychiatric nursing students judged the use of role – play in the teaching – learning process as very positive, it improved their communication, helped them to integrate the theory and practice of psychiatric nursing, in addition, students admit that role – play enabled them to cope with anxiety, fear, doubts, before facing future real – life nursing care situations, creativity, active participation and team work were highly valued by the students. It is recommended to encourage the use of role – play and its creative and integrative aptitude to facilitate psychiatric nursing education.

Keywords: Role – play, nursing students, teaching strategy, psychiatric nursing, nursing education.