Postpartum mood disorders (PPMDs), including postpartum blues (PPB), or “baby blues,” and postpartum depression (PPD), are common psychological conditions that can result in deleterious social, psychological, and cognitive consequences for both mother and baby. Women diagnosed with PPMDs are at risk for higher incidence of morbidity and mortality, including pre-term birth and maternal suicide. Additionally, negative impacts on infant socio-emotional development and family dynamics have been identified (McKee et al., 2020).

Though exact prevalence is unknown, some studies approximate 39 % of new mothers experience PPMDs after giving birth (Rezaie-Keikhaie et al., 2020). However, it is also possible for symptoms of PPMDs to start during the antepartum period (Okagbue et al., 2019), and underreporting of PPMDs is a confounding factor in documenting its true prevalence as symptoms are often minimized by mothers and unrecognized by healthcare providers (Anokye et al., 2018). Thus, nursing education in maternal health/postpartum care is instrumental in reducing preventable maternal morbidity and mortality (Kleppel et al., 2016). However, available data suggest that clinical teaching practices and clinically-based learning opportunities in maternal mental health are lacking (Posmontier et al., 2022). With appropriate clinical training, nurses could be uniquely positioned to be instrumental in identifying and monitoring patients with PPMDs and referring them to appropriate treatment. Nurses can also effectively educate patients about PPMDs, thus helping reduce cultural and societal stigma associated with mental illness (Alba, 2021).

Simulation training has been used for decades as a complementary learning modality in healthcare education (Rosen, 2008). Integrated simulation exercises provide several educational advantages, including standardization of clinical education modules and provision of a controlled environment that allows students to practice necessary skills without compromising patient care. Additionally, simulation trainings provide healthcare students structured and specific exposure to important aspects of clinical competence and immediate feedback and evaluation of projected patient outcomes (Issenberg et al., 2003). Simulation education for nursing students can be especially useful in specialty clinical rotations such as maternal health/postpartum care where real-time clinical learning opportunities might be limited (Shorten & Ruppel, 2017).

The COVID-19 pandemic created restrictions that severely limited healthcare students' access to in-person clinical rotations, reducing opportunities to practice vital skills at hospitals and other inpatient facilities. In an effort to meet prelicensure nursing students' educational requirements and address the need to practice postpartum patient care, two related virtual simulated patient encounters (vSPEs) were developed by an interprofessional educational team. Offered through an internet platform and performed by trained actors, the vSPEs utilized multifaceted clinical scenarios that required students to address the physical, psychological, and behavioral needs of a postpartum simulated patient (SP).

Intentionally designed as an integrated pair of encounters, the vSPEs primarily focused on postpartum maternal mental health. The initial vSPE (vSPE #1) featured a SP who was 4 days postpartum. The second vSPE (vSPE #2) simulated a follow-up visit with the same SP one week later. This two-part design presented students with an opportunity to establish patient rapport, provide continuity of care, and appropriately address a patient's changing needs over time. For example, students had the opportunity to recognize the often subtle signs of a PPMD and create an appropriate patient care plan. The vSPEs also allowed students to practice virtual patient care and telemedicine skills, which may be a useful modality for reaching patients in underserved communities and as healthcare delivery continues to change and adapt in light of the COVID-19 pandemic (Bokolo, 2021).