Background & Objective: The time nursing students have their first interviews with patients who have psychiatric problems they may not be aware of how to communicate with them; because stereotypes and stigma are associated with individuals who have psychiatric diagnosis. The aim of this educational project was to develop and evaluate the use of role-playing scenarios on mood change and empathy in undergraduate psychiatric nursing students.
Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted with 18 undergraduate nursing students during one course of nursing training; and data were collected through Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) questionnaire and Profile of Mood States (POMS) before and after 9 nurse-patient roles for such communication trainings.
Results: Significant differences in mood and empathy of undergraduate nursing students were not found in pre- and post-role playing phases.
Conclusion: Significantly lower change mood and empathy with role-playing may reflect fear, confusion-bewilderment and concerns. Suggestions are offered as role-playing scenarios performed with more sessions, larger samples and use of other teaching methods such as educational video.
Keywords
Role-playing Empathy Mood Undergraduate nursing student
