Evaluating the therapeutic communication skills of nursing students in the clinical setting: The experiences of students, patients and patients' relatives.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to determine the therapeutic communication skills of nursing students, examine their experiences of communication during care, and evaluate the views of patients and their relatives.

Methods: This study was designed using the convergent parallel mixed method and was conducted in Türkiye. The therapeutic communication skills of 112 nursing students were examined using the Therapeutic Communication Skills Scale. Qualitative data were obtained in focus group interviews with 18 nursing students and in individual interviews with 10 patients and 10 of their relatives. Number, percentage, mean ± standard deviation and minimum-maximum values were calculated from the quantitative data. The thematic method was used to analyze the qualitative data.

Results: The mean scores of the 112 nursing students for Therapeutic Communication Skills 1 (reflecting, summarizing, restating, verbalizing the implied, focusing, and stating the observed) and Therapeutic Communication Skills 2 (active listening, offering self, and asking questions) were 26.18 ± 6.52 and 15.68 ± 3.03, respectively. The mean score for non-Therapeutic Communication Skills (warning, downplaying emotions, advising, vague reassurance/cliché response, changing the subject, defending, and judging) was 18.59 ± 7.60. As a result of the analysis of the qualitative data, three main themes emerged: "challenges in mastering and applying therapeutic communication", "the positive impact of therapeutic communication", and the "patients' and relatives' views of the nursing students' communication skills".

Conclusion: Despite challenges in applying therapeutic communication techniques, this study highlights the benefits of doing so for both patients/relatives and nursing students. Nevertheless, since the individual and cultural factors affecting the results of this study could not be controlled, further studies in different cultures and further studies are needed. On the basis of the results of this study, educators should support the internalization of students' communication skills by employing methods such as simulated patients, standardized patients, and peer education. It is recommended that the knowledge and skills of nurses working with students in clinical settings be improved to ensure they are able to serve as adequate role models.