title: Making it real: using standardized patients to bring case studies to life.
abstract: With increases in the overall number of individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), nurse educators must provide experiences that help nursing students learn how to better communicate and care for individuals with this disorder. This article describes how two learning strategies-case studies and standardized patients-were combined to facilitate the development of therapeutic communication and assessment skills. Two case studies on PTSD were written, and actors were trained to portray the individuals in the case studies. Fourteen baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in a senior-level psychiatric nursing clinical course participated in this pilot alternative learning activity. This article describes the learning activity and presents student evaluations of the assignment.
authors.affiliation: Salisbury University, Maryland 21801, USA. dawebster@salisbury.edu
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seldomridge
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rockelli
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003142:Communication; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy