A drama used to help mental health nursing students put their knowledge in to practice has seen Kingston University and St George’s, University of London carry off the Teaching Innovation of the Year trophy at the 2016 Student Nursing Times Awards. The annual awards, run by the leading nursing magazine, provide an opportunity to share good practice among student nurses and celebrate the achievements of those who will be shaping the future of the profession.

Judges of the innovation category were looking for a stand out idea that would help student nurses either improve their clinical skills or broaden their understanding of academic subjects. The winning Kingston and St George’s project consisted of a 15-minute drama simulation. It was performed last year at the Rose Theatre as part of a wider event called Nursing’s Got Talent, which celebrated International Nurses Day and featured poetry, music and drama.

The prize-winning play had evolved through improvisation and rehearsal.
Entitled Turning Crisis into Drama, the simulation involved nursing students performing alongside professional actors who took on the roles of patients, working closely with teaching staff and students on the mental health programme. They developed their characters from an original script devised by senior lecturer in mental health Chris Hart, who also directed the drama.

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