The Effect of Nursing Communication Training on Empathy and Communication Skills of Nursing Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

For healthcare professionals working with patients, empathy and communication skills are of very importance and they are an important aspect of nursing practice. Empathy and communication skills can be improved with education. This study aims to investigate the effect of communication training on nursing students' levels of empathy and communication skills. As a part of this quasi-experimental research, a 14-week intervention was implemented nursing communication targeting 70 nursing students. The research data were collected using a Personal Information Questionnaire, the Communication Skills Assessment Scale (CSAS), and the Empathic Tendency Scale (ETS). The students’ post-intervention empathy (t = -4,680 p = 0.000) and communication (t = -7.363, p = 0.000) scores were higher statistically than the baseline scores. The mean ETS scores of students were significantly and positively correlated with their CSAS scores (r = 0.25; p < 0.001). The communication training in nursing was determined to be effective in improving the empathy and communication skills of nursing students. This research will contribute to the development of an evidence-based curriculum for academics teaching nursing, in terms of teaching empathy and communication.