Effects of student-led drama on nursing students' attitudes to interprofessional working and nursing advocacy: A pre-test post-test educational intervention study.

BACKGROUND

Nursing educators need to equip students to work in interprofessional teams and advocate for patients in increasingly integrated health and social care settings. Drama-based education has been used in nursing to help students understand complex concepts and practices, including communication, empathy, and patient safety. However, few studies have evaluated drama-based education to promote understanding of interprofessional care and advocacy, and none have involved student-led drama where students create dramatic performances to support learning.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the effects of student-led drama on student nurses' attitudes to interprofessional working and advocacy.

DESIGN

Pre-test post-test educational intervention study.

SETTINGS

Public university in Scotland.

PARTICIPANTS

400 undergraduate student nurses enrolled on a 15-week module focussed on health and social care integration and interprofessional working.

METHODS

Students completed paper questionnaires at the start (n = 274, response rate: 80.1 %) and end (n = 175, 63.9 %) of the module. Outcome measures were the validated Attitudes Towards Healthcare Teams Scale (ATHCTS) and Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale (PNAS). Change in mean ATHCTS and PNAS scores were assessed using paired samples t-tests, with Cohen's d to estimate effect size.

RESULTS

ATHCTS scores significantly increased from 3.87 to 4.19 (p < 0.001, d = 0.52). PNAS scores increased from 3.58 to 3.81 (p < 0.001, d = 0.79), with significant improvements in the 'acting as an advocate' (4.18 to 4.51, p < 0.001, d = 0.81) and 'environmental and educational influences' subscales (3.79 to 4.13, p < 0.001, d = 0.75). Statements focussed on promoting holistic, dignified care and enabling health professionals to be responsive to emotional and financial needs of patients, showed greatest change.

CONCLUSIONS

Education based on plays created and performed by student nurses led to significant improvements in student nurses' attitudes towards interprofessional working and nursing advocacy. Student-led drama should be embedded in nursing curricula to enable students to understand the realities and complexities of health and social care integration and interprofessional working.