Methodology

The course will be developed through an active, participatory, experiential and competency-based methodology, focused on role-playing, case analysis, structured observation, formative feedback and debriefing.

The sessions will combine brief conceptual introductions with practical mental health simulation activities. Students will work on simulated clinical situations related to the therapeutic relationship, the nursing interview, crisis communication, suicidal behaviour, self-harm, psychotic symptoms, addictions, emotional dysregulation, communication with families and verbal de-escalation.

Each role-playing activity will begin with an initial briefing, in which the learning objectives, care context, roles, observation criteria and aspects of clinical, emotional and relational safety will be presented. The simulations will take place in a psychologically safe classroom environment, based on respect, pedagogical confidentiality, non-ridicule and learning from error.

During the activities, students may assume different roles: nurse, person receiving care, family member, observer or member of the healthcare team. The simulated situations will be developed using structured case sheets or scripts, with differentiated information for each role, in order to promote clinical exploration, uncertainty, active listening and adaptation of the intervention.

The observation of the scenarios will be carried out in a structured way using observation grids or rubrics, focusing on aspects such as verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening, emotional validation, formulation of questions, risk assessment, boundary-setting, verbal de-escalation and respect for the rights of the person receiving care.

After each simulation, formative feedback and structured debriefing will be carried out, aimed at analysing what happened, what decisions were made, what impact the interventions had and what learning can be transferred to real clinical practice. Space will also be given to reflection on one’s own emotional response and on the communicative or relational difficulties experienced during the activity.

Students will produce brief learning evidence linked to the simulations, preferably completed in class or immediately after the activities. These pieces of evidence may include self-assessments, analysis of communicative interventions, reformulation of responses, ethical reflections, basic safety plans or identification of strengths and areas for improvement.

The teaching methodology aims to enable students to progressively integrate professional knowledge, skills and attitudes, developing competencies in therapeutic communication, nursing clinical reasoning, relational safety, reflexivity and non-coercive care in mental health.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

This course does not provide for a single-assessment system.

The assessment of the course is conceived as continuous, face-to-face, applied and competency-based. It is aimed at verifying the progressive acquisition of therapeutic communication skills, helping relationship skills, nursing interview skills, clinical observation, nursing reasoning, verbal de-escalation, relational safety and professional reflexivity in the field of mental health.

In order to ensure authorship, traceability of the learning process and the real assessment of competencies, the main pieces of evidence will preferably be developed in person, in the classroom, through role-playing activities, simulation, structured observation, debriefing or an individual practical assessment.

Assessment activities

Evidence portfolio I

The first evidence portfolio accounts for 25% of the final grade. It will consist of brief, individual and applied activities linked to the first sessions of the course.

These pieces of evidence may include:

• Self-assessment of one’s own performance in a simulated situation.
• Analysis of a communicative intervention carried out during a role-playing activity.
• Identification of strengths and areas for improvement in the nursing interview.
• Reformulation of an inadequate communicative response.
• Structured observation of a simulated scenario.
• Brief reflection on active listening, emotional validation, silence or therapeutic boundaries.

The aim is not to produce long written texts, but to demonstrate the student’s ability to integrate the simulated experience, clinical reasoning, the nursing perspective and professional reflection.

Evidence portfolio II

The second evidence portfolio accounts for 25% of the final grade. It will be linked to simulated situations of greater clinical, emotional, relational or ethical complexity.

These pieces of evidence may include:

• Analysis of an emotional crisis situation.
• Development of a basic safety plan in response to suicidal ideation or self-harm.
• Reflection on a verbal de-escalation situation.
• Ethical analysis of a situation related to autonomy, risk, confidentiality or restrictive measures.
• Structured observation of communication with a family member or caregiver.
• Identification of learning that can be transferred to real clinical practice.

The portfolio will be assessed using a specific rubric. The teaching staff may request a brief individual oral defence of one of the submitted pieces of evidence.

Individual practical assessment

The individual practical assessment accounts for 50% of the final grade. Its purpose is to assess, in a face-to-face and applied manner, the competencies acquired throughout the course.

The assessment may consist of one or two practical situations linked to:

• Individual role-playing.
• Brief clinical simulation.
• Structured nursing interview.
• Communication with a person in crisis.
• Assessment of suicidal or self-harm risk.
• Verbal de-escalation.
• Communication with a family member or caregiver.
• Oral defence of a simulated clinical situation.

Therapeutic communication, structure of the intervention, active listening, emotional validation, formulation of questions, risk assessment, relational safety, respect for the rights of the person receiving care and the ability to justify nursing decisions will be assessed.

This activity will be assessed using a specific rubric.

Use of artificial intelligence and authorship of evidence

The use of generative artificial intelligence tools cannot replace authorship, face-to-face participation, clinical reasoning, therapeutic communication or the student’s demonstration of competencies.

The assessment activities are designed so that the main pieces of evidence are generated in a face-to-face, applied and individual manner. When written evidence is submitted, it must correspond to the student’s actual work process and may be verified through oral defence, verification questions, review of the development process or complementary face-to-face activities.

Any unauthorised, undeclared or fraudulent use of artificial intelligence tools, as well as any other practice that compromises the authorship of the submitted evidence, will be dealt with in accordance with current academic regulations.

Resit assessment

Students who have not passed the course may take a resit assessment, provided that they meet the requirements established by academic regulations and have submitted sufficient assessment evidence during the course.

The resit assessment may include an individual practical assessment, an oral defence, an applied activity linked to a clinical case or the resubmission of a failed piece of evidence.

Activities linked to face-to-face participation, simulation, role-playing and the continuous debriefing process cannot be recovered in the same format, as they are part of the face-to-face competency development of the course.

Final grade

The final grade for the course will be the result of the weighted sum of the different assessment activities:

• Evidence portfolio I: 25%.
• Evidence portfolio II: 25%.
• Individual practical assessment: 50%.

In order to calculate the average and pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 5 out of 10 in each assessed component. To obtain the final grade, students must complete all compulsory assessment activities.

A student will be considered “Not assessable” if they do not provide sufficient assessment evidence, do not participate in the compulsory face-to-face activities, do not attend the individual practical assessment or do not submit the required activities within the deadlines established by the teaching staff.

Students have the right to review assessment tests and activities. The review date will be announced through the Virtual Campus.

Special situations and individual cases will be assessed by the teaching staff responsible for the course or by the assessment committee established for this purpose.

In accordance with current assessment regulations, grades will be as follows:

• 0 to 4.9: Fail.
• 5.0 to 6.9: Pass.
• 7.0 to 8.9: Good.
• 9.0 to 10: Excellent.
• Honours: according to the criteria established by current academic regulations.

Important

Any irregularity in an assessment activity —academic fraud, plagiarism or misuse of artificial intelligence— that may lead to a significant change in the grade will result in that assessment activity being graded as 0. If several irregularities occur in assessment activities within the same course, the final grade may be 0, without prejudice to any applicable disciplinary proceedings.

Discriminatory expressions, behaviours or discourses will not be accepted in the context of this course, whether based on race, gender, identity or sexual orientation, religion, nationality, disability, mental health or any other personal or social condition. Any conduct contrary to these principles may have academic consequences and, where appropriate, may be reported to the competent university bodies.