The utilisation of a standardised patient in the training of healthcare professionals

Abstract

The standardized patient method is a proven tool in the clinical education of medical students, nurses and other healthcare professionals. It allows for the simulation of real clinical situations in order to acquire and assess communicative, diagnostic and ethical skills in a controlled environment. The topic is particularly relevant in the context of increasing demands on the quality of health education. This present report examines the nature, history, significance and relevance of this approach in the education of healthcare students, with a focus on nurses. The characteristics of a real, simulated and standardized patient are summarized and systematized. Literature sources on the topic were studied, international experience in using standardized patients in student training was studied. Simulation training using standardized patients is not just a modern methodology, but a necessary step towards increasing the safety, effectiveness and humanity of healthcare. It meets the needs of modern society and creates specialists who are prepared not only academically, but also practically, emotionally and ethically. In Bulgaria, training through standardized patient is applied to a limited extent, mainly in medical universities. There is a need to develop simulation centers, to train teachers and to create standardized scenarios. International experience shows that standardized patients improve students‘ clinical readiness and create better professional habits.