Introduction: Psychodrama is an emotional projection method that opens one’s personality problem and presents life’s dimensions using theater method.

  Objective: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of effectiveness of psychodrama on executive functions in nursing students.

  Methods: This is a quasi experimental study in which from all first term nursing students (male and female) enrolled in Tonekabon Azad University, 24 new nursing students were selected and divided to two groups of 12 into experiment and control. The experimental group received two sessions of psychodrama every two weeks for 90 minutes for five weeks. Data were collected using Wisconsin cards in both groups as pre and post test and data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (Mean and SD) and analytical statistics such as covariance ( MANCOVA) .

  Results : The results showed n that between experimental groups who received psychodrama and control group who didn’t receive psychodrama the difference was significant (P<0.0005) and the group with psychodrama had higher performance. Also there was a significant difference between balance means in two groups in missed element reduction error (P<0.0005) and psychodrama was effectiveness on reduction error (increase cognitive flexibility) in nursing students. There was no significant difference between two groups in the element of uses of feedbacks (P<0.068).

Conclusion: Psychodrama was effective intervention on executive functions and missing error element. Therefore this method can be used to improve students’ cognitive flexibility and empower them in confronting stress and resolve specific problems encountering in their field of study.