Using Virtual Simulation to Support Mental Health Education

Identifying mental illness in a patient can be one of the biggest challenges that a nurse faces. The ability to recognize an underlying mental illness can drastically change the assessment and diagnosis processes, and therefore the treatment plan. The net result can translate into better patient outcomes.

One in four people – approximately 450 million people worldwide – suffer from mental disorders.¹然而，高达50％的严重案件在高收入国家未经治疗。²Misdiagnosis is common in the realm of mental health, often because symptoms can often materialize in different ways and at different times. Nurses can feel more confident in their ability to assess and diagnose a mentally-ill patient when they have an understanding of how certain mental illnesses present themselves, and the critical-thinking skills required to take an accurate patient history.

识别是提供专业的第一步per treatment. In this article, we discuss how training with a practical delivery mode, like虚拟仿真，可以更好地准备护理学生识别精神疾病，并可以通过护理人员对精神疾病患者的态度更加有利。结果可以是更好以患者为中心的护理。

In the United States, approximately 56 million American adults suffer from mental illness.³自杀是死亡的第十个主要原因，残疾的十个主要原因中有四个是精神疾病（严重抑郁症，躁郁症，精神分裂症和强迫症）。^4,5一些专家甚至开始将人们对精神疾病的关注日益加以标记为“心理健康危机”。

Nurses are the largest group of professionals providing mental health care, whether it’s in primary or specialist health services。Because of nurses’ direct relationships with patients, it is critical that they feel confident in their ability to detect mental illness and treat patients accordingly. Nursing educators advocate for an early and immersive mental health education at both the pre-licensure and graduate levels.⁷

Despite resounding agreement among nurse educators about the importance of mental health education, there is often a question of justhow为学习者提供正确的技能。一些设施引入了标准化的患者，或者是扮演精神疾病患者的角色的演员。尽管这在教导如何了解患者的病史方面非常有用，但教育工作者通常声明标准化患者无法显示生理变化是一个缺点。其他设施在其护理计划中实施了高保真模拟器的使用，这可以在整个护理途径中证明生理变化，并作为增强学习者现有知识的一种手段。

Virtual simulation, a method of engaging students via eLearning, has increased in popularity because it can help to introduce mental health education in an interactive and realistic way.实际上，目前有65％的护理计划正在使用虚拟模拟。⁸通过使用虚拟模拟，学习者可以通过可观察到的生理变化和患者访谈来微调其评估技巧，并提高他们识别精神疾病的能力。

Those affected by mental illness often avoid seeking help due to public stigma surrounding mental disorders. Culturally, we have still not advanced beyond socially shunning those who suffer from mental illnesses.⁹公众已朝着帮助精神疾病患者方面迈出了大步，但仍有潜在的污名会对人际关系产生负面影响。而且，护士患者的关系也不例外。

研究表明，在医疗保健人员中也发现了污名化的态度，它们反映了负面舆论。¹⁰This has raised concern about the quality of care that mental health patients are receiving.Assumptive and bias perspectives can negatively impact the care of a patient.

Factors contributing to these negative perceptions are:¹¹

• Lack of knowledge
• 较少的专业经验
• No familiarity (i.e. no friends or relatives with mental illness)

Conversely, increased mental health education and more experience with mental illness can influence a healthcare provider’s attitude in a positive direction.Nurse educators are tasked with providing a mental health education that fosters inclusivity, empathy, and respect for patients suffering from mental illness.

“The most important thing a nursing program can do to prepare nurses to care for patients with mental illness is to teach them that mental health issues are widespread among the population and that someone with mental illness deserves the same care, compassion, and respect as any other patient,” says Mary Wickman, RN, PhD, University of Southern California in Costa Mesa.¹²此外，教育者应该揭穿神话 - 尤其是在精神病患者之间的暴力方面。只有3-5％的暴力行为可以归因于患有严重精神疾病的人。¹³

为护理学生做准备就是意识。By exposing learners to common behaviors and symptoms associated with mental illness, their perceptions of what a mentally ill patient “looks like” or “acts like” will gradually shift from stigma to reality.

Simulation benefits learners in this regard because it provides an opportunity to introduce less common events that may not be seen in a traditional clinical placement.¹⁴Virtual simulation, specifically, is proven to be a consistent and effective method of training nurses. Research has shown thatup to 60% better consistency of learning can be achieved through technology-based training.¹⁵Each scenario requires learners to gather the patient history and practice patient-centered care. The learning experience promotes the development of critical-thinking and decision-making skills, while also giving learners a “real life” experience with mental illness.

心理健康护理中的模拟可以帮助发展善解人意的护理实践并增加学生对精神疾病的理解。¹⁶Both of these developments can contribute to higher recognition, a reduced chance of misdiagnosis, and better quality of care.

With virtual simulation, which allows learners to move at their own pace, the benefits are manifold. One study found that when nursing staff engaged autonomously with interactive video learning, they had greater compliance and satisfaction with training compared to those who received only lecture.¹⁷And, another study found that virtual patients help to teach clinical decision-making skills to nursing students.¹⁸During a virtual simulation, there is no risk associated with incorrect diagnosis and treatment, which gives students the在对待第一个真正的病人之前犯错误的自由。

Virtual simulation can also help to locate and fill knowledge gaps left behind from textbook readings and lectures. Increasing students’ skills in therapeutic communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and risk assessment in mental health nursing practice, simulation provides the exposure students need.¹⁹

Equipped with the skills to recognize and empathetically treat patients, your nurses will feel competent and confident in their ability to address mental illness.