Developing Psychotherapy Competency in PMHNP Students Through the Curricular Integration of Simulation, Experiential Learning, and Self-Reflective Practice

BACKGROUND: Developing competent psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) psychotherapists requires supporting students' movement from a biomedical outcome-orientated toward a dynamic, process-oriented paradigm. Experiential learning methods provide a robust framework for achieving entry-level competence. OBJECTIVE: This study describes and evaluates an integrative teaching strategy combining didactic content, self-applied psychotherapy exercises, and standardized patient simulations to support the development of the nurse psychotherapist. METHODS: Using a retrospective qualitative design, thematic content analysis was conducted on written wellness reflections from 18 PMHNP students. Participants completed a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) learning module featuring self-applied CBT exercises and a simulated psychotherapy session. RESULTS: Five themes were identified from the analysis: cognitive self-awareness, insight through personal experience, emotional growth, wellness and self-care, and barriers to integration and implementation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that integrating experiential learning methods in PMHNP education can successfully promote students' emotional resilience, cognitive self-awareness, and wellness while developing critical psychotherapy competence.