title: The influence of teaching method on performance of suicide assessment in baccalaureate nursing students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Student nurses identify many barriers to assessing patients' risk for suicide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This pilot study developed and tested an innovative active learning strategy using simulated standardized patients to determine its effectiveness in teaching suicide assessment skills to a sample of 34 junior and senior baccalaureate nursing students.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study employed an experimental, two-group posttest design and three National League for Nursing/Laerdal Simulation Evaluation instruments. After reading about suicide assessment, the experimental group was exposed to a simulated standardized patient portraying a suicidal patient. The control group received a recorded lecture on suicide assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experimental group demonstrated a significant difference in student scores of self-confidence, satisfaction, and student perceptions of the educational practices (active learning, collaboration, and appeal to diverse learning styles) when compared to the lecture format.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suicide assessment is a critical assessment skill set that can be effectively taught to nursing students using standardized patients.
authors.affiliation: Rebecca Luebbert, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, IL, USA rluebbe@siue.edu.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luebbert
authors.affiliation: Ann Popkess, PhD, RN, CNE, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popkess
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003479:Curriculum / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015402:Nursing Education Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012306:Risk; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: baccalaureate nursing; competencies; simulation; suicide assessment