Yes…and! Actor Improvisation Enhances Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Education.

Abstract

Based on a comparative dearth of simulation products to support the attainment of key skills in psychiatric-mental health nursing, the authors developed scripted scenarios to provide students with exposure to low-incidence/high-risk simulated clinical scenarios in the classroom setting. Acting students from the university's theater school were provided with character sketches and information on psychopathology-psychopharmacology to add a sense of authenticity to the performances. In turn, students questioned the actor-patients in character. The actor-patients employed the improvisational technique of "yes…and" to further develop their characters and provide deeper opportunities for faculty-student engagement and psychiatric-mental health nursing skills development.