An evaluation of nursing students’ perceptions on the efficacy of high fidelity clinical simulation to enhance their confidence, understanding and competence in managing psychiatric emergencies

Final year undergraduate nurses may lack the knowledge and competence required to manage deteriorating patients and respond to emergency situations (Stayt et al. 2015). Mental health nurses are likely to be the first responders to emergency situations in a psychiatric setting. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the effectiveness of high fidelity simulation in preparing mental health nursing students to respond to and manage psychiatric emergencies. Therefore, the efficacy of clinical simulation as a strategy to teach the skills required to manage such emergencies needs to be evaluated.