High-Fidelity Simulation: An Application to Psychopharmacological Training for the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Student

Abstract

As the demand for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) continues to grow, innovative teaching strategies that can enhance competency learning with skill transfer into the clinical setting is essential. Educational programs must adequately prepare the student for the complexity of the clinical environment. Simulation is an educational approach that replicates aspects of the real world in a safe environment so that learners can engage in an interactive manner. High-fidelity simulation (HFS) has been identified as an effective teaching strategy and mechanism to transfer knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to the clinical setting. HFS uses a human patient simulator to immerse the learner in a contextual learning environment by engaging in a realistic clinical scenario to develop cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills through deliberate practice. This article describes the theoretical foundation, development process, case scenarios, and implementation of HFS, an innovative teaching pedagogy, in a Psychopharmacology didactic course for PMHNP.