Developing Criteria for the Selection of Contemporary Stimulus Material in Mental Health Nursing Education: Engaging Students and Meeting Curriculum Goals - Part 1: Critical Analysis of Simulation and Stimulus Material in Mental Health Nursing Education

www.ejpbl.org 10 Purpose: By focussing on curricula reliant on blended (online and face-to-face) learning, to test the value of mental health stimulus material created/used by Australians in an Australian context to achieve learning outcomes through assessment tasks for students from a range of cultural backgrounds. Can we find stimulus material that facilitators can use with diverse cultures? Methods: Case studies centred on two groups of students Australian (Part 1) and international (Part 2). Results: An analysis of simulation and stimulus material in mental health nursing education (Part 1) and the development of i) a set of principles for choosing 'authentic' stimulus material ii) a set of recommendations for choices of assessment tasks that ensure application of the principles irrespective of the culture and context in which graduates choose to work (Part 2). Conclusion: While there are many types of stimulus material available today, authentic stories from clinical practice may also have a useful role in mental health nursing curricula.