Global Interprofessional Therapeutic Communication Scale© (GITCS©): Development and Validation

The effects of child health nursing curriculum-integrated therapeutic activities on therapeutic communication skills of nursing students: Non-randomized study

BACKGROUND

Effective therapeutic communication with hospitalized children is increasingly recognized as crucial for child-centered care in all healthcare settings. The quantity and quality of training nurses receive to promote and enhance nurse-child communication are vital. This study aims to evaluate the impact of planned therapeutic communication activities for the Child Health Nursing Course on the therapeutic communication skills of nursing students.

METHOD

A non-randomized study with a pre-test and post-test design was conducted with 28 junior nursing students in Turkey. Data were collected using an 'Information Form' and the 'Therapeutic Communication Skills Scale for Nursing Students'. The Child Health Nursing Course curriculum incorporated lectures with various activity designs to enhance students' therapeutic communication skills.

RESULTS

The curriculum-integrated therapeutic activities significantly decreased non-therapeutic communication skills in students, with a large effect size [d: 0.827, 95% CI: (0.393)-(1.296)]. Furthermore, the activities led to a significant increase in Therapeutic Communication Skills-1 with a large effect size [d: -0.943, 95% CI: (-1.416) - (-0.513)], and improved Therapeutic Communication Skills-2 with a large effect size [d: -1.285, 95% CI: (-1.827) - (-0.804)].

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate that therapeutic activities effectively improved the therapeutic communication skills of nursing students.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Integrating therapeutic activities into the Child Health Nursing Course curriculum is recommended to enhance nursing students' therapeutic communication skills.

Development and validation of the questionnaire to analyze the communication of nurses in nurse-patient therapeutic communication

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to develop and analyze the psychometric properties of an instrument that could analyze the communication of nursing professionals in nurse-patient therapeutic communication.

METHODS

A literature review and a panel of experts were used (N = 10) to develop the questionnaire to analyze the communication of nurses in nurse-patient therapeutic communication. The final version of the questionnaire was composed of 49 items and applied to a convenience sample of 370 nurses.

RESULTS

The construct validity was assessed by an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the reliability using Cronbach's Alpha. Three dimensions were identified that determine therapeutic communication: professional, contextual and/or situational and patient. The Cronbach's α total coefficient was 0.90, ranging from 0.71 to 0.81 for the dimensions.

CONCLUSION

The questionnaire to analyze the communication of nurses in nurse-patient therapeutic communication represents a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure nurses' communication with patients in the clinical setting.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The use of the questionnaire enables the analysis of elements that interfere with effective communication. This can assist in developing interventions to improve nurses' therapeutic communication with patients.

Evaluation of Simulation Outcomes

Simulation has been used in nursing education and training since Florence Nightingale's era. Over the past 20 years, simulation learning experiences (SLEs) have been used with increasing frequently to educate healthcare professionals, develop and increase the expertise of practicing professionals, and gain competency in key interprofessional skills. This chapter provides a brief overview of simulation evaluation history, beginning in the late 1990s, and the initial focus on learner self-report data. Using Kirkpatrick's Levels of Evaluation as an organizing model, four types of SLE evaluation are reviewed as well as suggestions for future research.