The Effect of Simulation-Based Education Applied to Nursing Students on Approach to Individuals Diagnosed with Schizophrenia and Student Opinions: A Mixed Method Study

Abstract

Background: Due to the constraints faced in clinical settings, simulation-based applications have gained increasing significance in enhancing students’ knowledge and skills in nursing education.Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation-based training applied to nursing students to approach individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.Methods: The research was designed according to a concurrent triangulation design, a type of mixed methods research that collects and analyzes both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously. The population of the research (n=68) consisted of senior nursing students in the fall semester of the 2023-2024 academic year. Quantitative data (n = 68) were collected using the Demographic Information Form and the Modified Simulation Effectiveness Tool, while qualitative data (n = 12) were collected through focus group interviews using a semi-structured interview form. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.Results: The total score of the students in the Simulation Effectiveness Tool- Modified was 75.20 ± 11.94, indicating that their perceptions of the effectiveness of simulation-based training in improving the students’ approach to individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia were positive. In the qualitative dimension, two themes and six subthemes of these themes were created. The themes were determined as Pre-Simulation Perspectives and Post-Simulation Development.Conclusion: This study revealed that simulation-based training contributed positively to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nursing students in psychiatric diseases exposed to prejudices, such as schizophrenia. Future studies should examine the long-term effects of this training and evaluate its effectiveness in larger and more diverse student samples.