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Acting With a Purpose: The Lived Experience of Actors in the Role of Standardized Patients Portraying Mental Illness

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Highlights

  • Little to no research has focused on the experience of standardized patients (SPs).

  • The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of SPs portraying clients with mental illness.

  • A qualitative/phenomenological perspective guided inquiry and analysis.

  • SPs grew in confidence with practice and emerged as partners in teaching/learning.

  • SPs found go.

Abstract

Background

Standardized patients (SPs) allow students to apply nursing skills in a safe/supportive environment. This study examined the experience of SPs in psychiatric/mental health simulations.

Method

The day-to-day experiences of SPs portraying mental illness was explored in this qualitative study. Using interviews as the primary data source, a qualitative, phenomenological perspective) guided inquiry and analysis.

Results

Four themes: Sparks something in me, Building on confidence, Stepping into the shoes of the educator, and Letting it get to me, investigated SPs' initiation into and their growing confidence in the acting/teaching role. Letting it get to me, SPs discussed the difficulty SPs later had “shaking off” their roles.

Conclusions

Research underscores the value of SPs in creating an accurate representation of a client with mental illness; however, this reality often stayed with them even after the portrayal was over. To provide the best experiences, nurse educators must train, follow up, and debrief to ensure that actors not only provide an accurate portrayal, but must also address any psychological harm.

Section snippets

Background

In our nursing program, actors have been trained as SPs and used to teach communication and assessment skills during the psychiatric/mental health nursing clinical experience. These actors have also participated in special activities in which they have interacted with the public while remaining in their roles. Backgrounds of SPs include retired nurses, actors, students who are theater and psychology majors, a former police officer, and stay-at home moms. Yearly, actors attend a 3-day training

Method

A qualitative research design explored the day-to-day experience of SPs portraying clients with mental illness in the psychiatric/mental health clinical course of senior nursing students enrolled in a baccalaureate program. The researchers chose a phenomenological method most closely aligned with the project's aim. The method by Colaizzi (1978) underscored allegiance to the participants' experience and adherence to the text (Table 1).

Emergent Themes

The following four themes emerged from participant interviews: (a) Sparks something in me, (b) Building on confidence, (c) Stepping into the shoes of the educator, and (d) Letting it get to me.

Limitations

With phenomenological research, we are able to look at the unique experience of individuals. While this study explored the lived experience of a small sample of SPs, the findings provided a glance at how this experience impacted each individual SP. Limitations of this study include the small sample size and variance in the amount of time that each actor had worked as an SP portraying an individual with mental illness. Also, having only one medical simulation laboratory precluded us from using

Discussion

The following four themes emerged from participant interviews: (a) Sparks something in me, (b) Building on confidence, (c) Stepping into the shoes of the educator, and (d) Letting it get to me.

In the theme “Sparks something in me,” participants discovered their initiation into the acting role emanated from their personal life. They described their original interest working as SPs proceeded from a long-held interest. This initial investment in their role progressed to the second theme, Building

References (14)

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