Effects of a Nonviolent Communication Program on Nursing Students

Abstract

Communication skills are important in life, especially in a clinical setting. The NVC (non-violent communication) model facilitates communication skills in schools, hospitals, and other environments. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NVC in fostering the communication skills of nursing students. The study included a total of 117 participants, including a test group of 62 nursing students and a control group of 55 students. Eight sessions of data collection and program adaptation were conducted between September and December 2016. The data were analyzed using t-tests, Chi-squared tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using SPSS version 24.0. Following the intervention, the primary and secondary levels of anger were lower, whereas empathy and the communication efficacy were higher in the test group than the control group. This study demonstrated that an NVC program can improve the affective aspects of communication skills of nursing students.