Experiences of local residents who portrayed patients in simulated patient exercises

Abstract

With a view toward developing Simulated Patient Exercises (SPE) together with local residents, we aimed to ascertain the role that instructors should play, and the coordination they should undertake to achieve this goal. We interviewed local residents in their 60s and 70s who participated in the participatory SPE program of Tokai University’s Adult Nursing Department. We asked the residents about what they gained from, and how they felt about, their experience in the program, and about the kind of support they need to play their role effectively. From the interview data and qualitative inductive analysis, we derived four themes describing the residents’ experiences: “Self-encouragement and growth”, “hardships as a Simulated Patient”, “efforts to improve the training of simulated patients”, and “wishes for nursing students”. Many of the statements described hardships the residents faced as Simulated Patients, including their nervousness and the burden of learning their role. On the other hand, we also heard many positive statements about how the residents felt encouraged and achieved growth through the experience. For example, in serving as simulated patients, the residents were encouraged by a sense of pride at how they were helping to train nursing students who will in the future help them and their family members, and they felt inspired by the students’ earnestness and their cordial learning attitudes, as well as by the camaraderie with fellow Simulated Patients. These positive statements illustrate the value of local residents participating in the program, and they explain why the residents continued to participate.