Background: The use of standardized patient simulation in psychiatric nursing education addresses the unique challenges presented by mental healthcare settings. Students’ attitudes toward clinical simulation remain predominantly favorable, with many expressing enthusiasm for the opportunities it provides in terms of embracing challenges, enhancing realism, and promoting critical thinking through problem solving, decision-making, and adaptability. Methods: This quantitative study used a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlation design to investigate the effectiveness of standardized patient simulation as a teaching method in the Psychiatric and Mental Health nursing course in a university setting. A total of 84 nursing students were recruited for the convenience sample. Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire survey which included the following: a demographic data sheet, the Student Satisfaction and Self-confidence in Learning Scale, and a narrative open-ended question asking the participants to write the advantages and disadvantages of their simulation experience. Data were analyzed using the statistical software JMP pro17. Results: The total satisfaction with learning subscale score ranged between 5 and 25 with a mean score of 19.36 ± 6.32. The total self-confidence subscale score ranged between 8 and 40 with a mean score of 30.87 ± 9.1. Pearson’s correlation coefficient r revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between the participants’ satisfaction with the learning experience and their self-confidence (t = 0.923, p < 0.0001). Approximately 91.7% of the students recommended using simulation. The results confirmed the students’ recommendations of simulation use in teaching psychiatric and mental health courses; furthermore, the results showed a statistically significant positive correlation with the total SSLS (p = 0.01) and satisfaction with learning subscale (0.003). Participants reported that authentic, practical, comfortable, and safe learning environments contributed to an enriched learning experience. Additionally, factors such as timesaving, access to information, cost-effectiveness, standardized teaching, varied exposure, skill development, and immediate feedback also enhanced the learning experience through patient simulation in psychiatric and mental health nursing. Conclusion: Simulations can contribute efficiently and positively to psychiatric and mental health nursing education in a manner that optimizes the learning experience while ensuring the consistency of student learning in a safe learning environment.

Background: Simulation-based learning (SBL) in nursing education is an innovative pedagogical approach that has significantly improved nursing education. Adopting SBL provides a controlled environment for meeting educational objectives without the risk of harm to real patients. Given that social distancing is required during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, SBL is a suitable alternative to clinical training for nursing students to learn and acquire the required clinical competencies. The study aimed to describe the effectiveness of SBL as a complete substitute for clinical experience from the perspective of students. This cross-sectional descriptive survey investigated students’ perceptions regarding the description of the effectiveness of SBL in four nursing colleges at four different universities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Settings: Four nursing colleges at four different universities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Participants included nursing students who attended simulation sessions. Data were collected by distributing a self-administrated online questionnaire, the Modified Simulation Effectiveness Tool (SET-M), which is a 19-item. Results: Approximately two-thirds of the participants were in their third (30.4%) and fourth (44.5%) academic year. The highest student presentation was for Site 1 (39.5%) and Site 2 (32.5%). Significant differences existed in all domains according to sex and university (p ≤ 0.001). There was a significant difference in relation to the level of agreement for pre-briefing, scenario, and debriefing domains (<0.001). Conclusions: SBL is a valuable teaching strategy that enhances nursing students’ self-awareness, self-confidence, clinical performance, and efficiency in performing procedures with considerable gender variation. Female students had more positive perceptions toward simulation effectiveness.

Background: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the existing healthcare delivery systems worldwide and overwhelmed the globally short healthcare workforce, particularly nurses. Nurses are recognized as front-line responders to the COVID-19 pandemic and are crucial healthcare members to win the fight against the evolving COVID-19. Considering the long-lasting shortage of national nurses, and turnover of the current nursing workforce, it is essential to consider unconventional strategies aiming at expanding the national nursing workforce in order to embrace the impact of COVID-19. Objective: This study aimed to measure senior nursing students and intern’s willingness to treat patients with COVID-19. Further, this study investigated their feelings, knowledge, and concerns regarding treating patients with COVID-19. Methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional study utilized self-reported survey gathered from a convenience sample of 178 senior nursing students and interns. A 7-item scale was used to measure the participants’ willingness to treat patients with COVID-19. The data were collected between March 2020 and April 2020. Results: Out of 178 participants, 50.56% were at Level 8, 89.33% were single, and 53.37% had a very satisfactory grade point average. The highest proportion of the respondents (38.20%) felt neutral about treating patient with COVID-19, while 53.93% had good knowledge about COVID-19. The perceived willingness to treat of participants had an overall mean score of 20.19, which indicated neutral willingness to treat patients with COVID-19. Participants’ feelings about treating patients with COVID-19 predicted their willingness to treat patients with COVID-19 (P< 0.001). Conclusion/Recommendation: There is a clear need for educational and training programs both in clinical practice and academia for the improvement among nursing students and interns who reported paucity of knowledge about COVID-19. Furthermore, hospital institutions should provide additional incentives or hazard protections to maintain and even increase the number of staff at the frontline who are willing to care for patients amid the deadly pandemic of COVID-19.

College students need to possess many skills to successfully pass each year of study. Effective time management skills are an essential characteristic for college students to have in order to maintain good academic performance. The students’ ability to manage their time properly is linked to many positive consequences, such as higher academic performance and lower stress levels. Despite the importance of time management skills for students, a limited number of studies were conducted to examine this issue among students in Saudi Arabia, especially nursing students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the influence of time management skills on stress and academic performance levels of nursing students in Saudi Arabia. In this quantitative research, a cross-sectional design was used to explore the relationship between the level of time management skills and stress level of nursing students. A total of 150 students completed a survey (a response rate of 65%). The two scales included in this survey were the Student Nurse Stress Index and Time Management Questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that there was a positive and significant correlation between the time management skills and academic performance of the students. That is, the increasing level of time management skills was associated with increasing academic performance (r = .240, p < .003), there was a positive and significant correlation between the time management skills and year of study (r = .262, p < .001), and there was a positive and significant correlation between the stress level and year of study (r = .249, p < .002). Therefore, time management and stress management training programs should be provided for nursing students during the orientation period.

Background: Limited studies have evaluated the impact of the length of internship training in relation to self‐efficacy and clinical competence and the factors influencing these variables among nurse interns, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Aim: The threefold aim of this study was to (1) determine the self‐efficacy and clinical competence of Saudi nursing interns, (2) assess the differences in their perceptions, and (3) evaluate the differences within the 1‐year internship program in the self‐efficacy and clinical competence of Saudi nursing interns. Design: The quantitative study employed a cross‐sectional design and comparative and predictive research approaches. Methods: A total convenience sample of 206 Saudi nursing interns participated in the study. T‐test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine the differences in nursing interns’ perceptions. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the extent to which various predictor variables accounted for variance in clinical competence among interns. Results/Findings: The nurse interns’ mean scores were 3.33/4 for self‐efficacy and 4.42/5 for clinical competence. No significant correlation was found between demographics and either variable. However, self‐efficacy correlated positively with clinical competence ( r = 0.67, p < 0.001). A between‐group ANOVA showed significant differences in self‐efficacy ( F (2, 203) = 19.00, p < 0.001) and clinical competence ( F (2, 203) = 38.00, p < 0.001) across internship durations. Post hoc tests revealed significant increases in the 4‐ to 8‐month groups, with no significant difference between 8‐ and 12‐month groups. Implication: Given that no significant improvements were observed beyond the 8‐month mark, it is recommended that internship programs consider reducing the overall duration to 8 months. This would preserve educational effectiveness while optimizing the use of institutional and human resources. More importantly, such a change could help address the persistent nursing shortage by accelerating the transition of qualified nursing graduates into the workforce by enabling earlier entry into professional roles without compromising competence or confidence. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study has strengthened the relationship between self‐efficacy and clinical competence. Higher self‐efficacy corresponds to an increase in clinical competence. Additionally, the findings suggest that the duration of the internship program is important for enhancing the clinical skills of nursing interns; however, no significant differences were found between interns at the 8‐ and 12‐month points in the program.