The learning experiences of senior student nurses who take on the role of standardised patient: a focus group study.

The use of clinical simulation involving standardised patients is increasing in nursing education programmes. In this study, we sought to identify whether participation in simulation through taking on the role of standardised patients benefited student nurses in terms of knowledge and skill development, and if so, how. Data was collected in two focus group interviews with fifteen senior undergraduate nursing students in 2011 and subjected to processes of thematic analysis.