Assessing Nonverbal Communication Skills Through Video Recording and Debriefing of Clinical Skill Simulation Exams

Abstract

Context: Nonverbal communication (NVC) skills are a critical component to clinician interactions with patients, and no research exists on the investigation of athletic training students' nonverbal communication skills. Video recording and debriefing have been identified as methods to assess and educate students' NVC skills in other allied health care fields. Objective: To investigate whether athletic training students perceived video recording and debriefing of their simulation exams to be an effective method for learning and assessing their NVC skills. Design: Survey. Setting: A standard athletic training education laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: A convenience sample of 47 participants enrolled in an upper-level athletic training laboratory course. Data Collection and Analysis: Descriptive statistics were conducted on combined items from NVC feedback forms that students completed after three simulation exams. Results: While 96% of the students thought their ability to assess their NVC communication skills had improved and 98% actually felt that their NVC skills improved as a result of this method, all participants agreed this was a worthwhile experience. Conclusion(s): Similar to medical and nursing literature, students felt that video recording and debriefing of clinical simulation exams were worthwhile and valuable methods for learning about and evaluating their NVC skills.