Teachers' Experiences of Simulation When Teaching Nursing Students to Encounter a Suicidal Person

Abstract

The suicide mortality rate in Finland, especially among young people, is still high compared to European standards. Suicidality often goes unrecognized in health care because the issue is not discussed due to lack of competence. Good education is essential to prevent suicide deaths. The paper presents a case study of simulation teaching as a method to educate nursing students on how to encounter a suicidal person. The study was conducted at Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Finland and involved Finnish-speaking (n=200) and English-speaking (n=40) third-year nursing students who participated in simulation teaching every year. The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) standards were used to evaluate the experiences of the two teachers involved in the simulation teaching. The results showed that the simulation teaching made the theoretical material more realistic and understandable, and helped the students feel more comfortable talking about suicidal thoughts with patients. The simulation also helped students to practice their skills in a safe and controlled environment. Overall, simulation teaching has the potential to support the skills needed to help people with suicidal thoughts.