Theatre and pedagogy: Using drama in mental health nurse education

Abstract

Drama is a feature of all civilisations. It has long been used as an educative tool. In this paper, the authors advocate for the use of drama in mental health nurse education. An historical overview of the relationship between drama and education is offered. Through their own experiences the authors give examples of the use of drama in the classroom. Drama challenges the power position of the participants, teacher and student alike. A humanistic framework is offered that promotes empathic understanding between all those concerned, especially the client. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.