Nursing Students' Experiences of Standardized Patient Practice: A Qualitative Study

ObjectiveStandardized patient (SP) applications are the generalterm for educational activities in the field of health thatare conducted with simulated patients playing therole of trained patients. This study aimed to explorenursing students’ experiences with standardizedpatient simulation in relation to the components of theNLN Jeffries Simulation Theory.Material and MethodThis study used a qualitative research design.Involving focus group interviews with 24 second-yearnursing students who participated in the SP simulation.Data were collected through open-ended questionsstructured according to the NLN Jeffries SimulationTheory and were analyzed thematically based on theframework’s five components: context, background,design, simulation experience, and outcomes.ResultsStudents perceived the SP simulation as realistic,educationally valuable, and confidence-enhancing.While they reported gains in communication andpatient education skills, some noted unclear roledefinitions and limited peer collaboration.ConclusionSP simulations were found to be effective insupporting experiential learning and developingprofessional competencies in nursing students. Thestudy confirms the applicability of the NLN JeffriesSimulation Theory in evaluating SP experiencesand suggests that structured role assignments andmore detailed preparatory materials can enhancesimulation outcomes.