The Journal of Medical Education and Development

 Introduction: Role-playing according to problem-solving and educational video clips are new and effective methods of training midwifery students. This study aimed to assess nursing students' experiences of training using role playing, based on problem solving, and displaying video clips in the psychiatric department of Imam Reza Hospital of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences.

Method: Nursing students in the first semester of  2011-2012 and 2012-2013  participated in a mental health training programs using role playing scenarios, based on problem solving skills, and were displayed educational video clips. Before and after performing each scenario, students completed a checklist related to role playing and videos, and were asked to evaluate them. The views and opinions of students were collected using focus group discussions and interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS (V 18) and the 7-step method of Colaizzi, respectively.

Results: The mean score of  students before and after role playing based on problem solving and displaying educational videos showed a significant difference (P<0.001).The majority of students reported that experiencing the two training methods was useful. A summary of the key findings of this study demonstrated that the students reported some difficulties including the dynamics of mind, interaction and optimal learning.

Conclusion: Students' experience showed that role-playing and videos are useful training methods to learn psychiatric subjects. It is recommended to continue these training methods to obtain effective feedback.