Standardized Patient Versus Role‐Play Strategies: A Comparative Study Measuring Patient‐Centered Care and Safety in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

&NA; Nursing faculty traditionally use role‐play to demonstrate mental health behaviors. However, until students interact with a mental health patient, they may not know what to expect. Standardized patient (SP) interactions can be used to overcome this challenge. This study compared pre‐licensure nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes, and self‐efficacy following a sequence of psychiatric mental health role‐play and SP experiences. Results suggest that the order of teaching strategies (role‐play first versus SP interaction first) does not significantly impact student knowledge, attitude, or self‐efficacy. However, student scores improved in all categories after the second experience.