Teaching nursing students to provide emotional support to patients with psychosomatic disorders

Psychosomatic disorders are a diverse group of health problems, with a significant or dominant role of emotional, psychosocial factors in their etiology. Long-term experience of stressful situations can lead to pathological processes within organs or body systems. The diagnosis of psychosomatic disorder is difficult, as is the process of treatment and therapy. Patients with psychosomatic problems need social support, especially emotional support. Nurses are an important source of support – due to the continuous process of patient care. This shows the need to prepare future nurses not only in the medical area, but also to provide emotional support to patients. Essential in this area of the educational process may be practical classes in the field of psychology. Using simulation scenes, students play the role of nurses providing social support to patients with psychosomatic problems through the process of interpersonal communication.