Exploring the impact of role-playing in enhancing nursing education: A systematic review of pedagogical outcomes and student competency development.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Nursing education continually seeks innovative teaching strategies to enhance students' competencies. Role-playing has been proposed as an effective pedagogical tool for improving clinical skills, knowledge, and professional behavior. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of role-playing in nursing education, with a focus on pedagogical outcomes and challenges.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using five electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library), following the PRISMA guidelines. The search strategy used the PICO framework to identify relevant studies. Quality assessments were performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale checklist.

RESULTS

From the initial 241 studies, 18 met the inclusion criteria. The findings indicated that role-playing significantly enhanced nursing students' clinical skills, self-efficacy, communication abilities, empathy, and overall satisfaction. Identified challenges include engagement variability, emotional barriers, educational design limitations, and resource constraints.

CONCLUSION

Role-playing is a valuable educational strategy in nursing curricula that fosters essential clinical and interpersonal skills. Addressing challenges, such as scenario design and emotional support, are crucial for effective implementation. Future research should focus on creating standardized role-playing frameworks that are adaptable to diverse educational contexts.