Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of using audiovisual materials in gerontological nursing exercises. Sixty-five second year nursing students watched audiovisual materials of scenes of communication between simulated patients (SP) with functional difficulties and other nursing students, and then presented reports on this exercise. We analyzed the reports of the nursing students, and we could determine several categories of description in their reports, which suggest that they could perceive indescribable facial expressions of the SP and mutual communication by unspoken messages between the SP and students, and that they could understand the patientsʼ nonverbal messages through the patientʼs expressions and reactions. These results suggest that using audiovisual materials in gerontological nursing exercises is effective in helping nursing students to develop a better understanding of the psychology of the elderly with functional difficulties.
