Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background In recent years, active learning methods such as simulation, theatre, role-playing, and narrative photography have begun to be used to improve students' positive attitudes, empathy and motivation levels, creativity and learning skills. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of theatre on nursing students’ perspectives on mental health and psychiatric patients. Methods Purposeful sampling method was used in this qualitative-descriptive design. Eighty-nine final year nursing students were instructed to express their experiences using a metaphor by completing the sentence: "The theater activity applied in the mental health and psychiatric nursing course is like., because." COREQ guidelines were adhered to throughout the research process. Results A total of 89 metaphors related to the theater activity were obtained from the students. Through metaphor analysis, six main themes emerged: (1) Cultivating empathy through theatrical immersion; (2) Embodying mental illness through theatre; (3) Bridging knowledge and practice; (4) Learning through enjoyment; (5) Enhancing knowledge retention through theatre; and (6) Experiencing a psychiatric ward through theatre. Conclusions For nursing students, theater activities foster empathy by bringing mental health experiences to life, integrate theoretical knowledge with practice, make learning enjoyable and lasting, and enable them to realistically experience the psychiatric ward environment. Clinical trial number: no t applicable