Abstract
BACKGROUND: Simulation-based education facilitates a learner-centered experience, which has been found to be effective in improving clinical performance, problem-solving ability, and self-confidence in nursing practice. The objective of this study was to develop and test a psychological first aid simulation-based education program for nurses caring for adolescents exposed to hazardous chemical disasters. METHODS: This study employed a nonequivalent pre and post-control group research design. The simulation-based education program was developed, and the participants were 30 nurses working in a medical center who were randomly assigned to the experimental, comparison, and control groups. The collected data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Ver. 22.0. RESULTS: The nurses who participated in the simulation-based education program showed statistically significantly improved psychological first aid performance knowledge, competence, and self-efficacy compared to those in the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing simulation programs could help to improve nurses' performance in mental health care and psychological support for adolescents suffering from hazardous chemical disasters.