The Impact of a Group Communication Course on Veterinary Medical Students' Perceptions of Communication Competence and Communication Apprehension

Communication self-efficacy and communication apprehension in a national sample of undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore communication apprehension and communication self-efficacy in undergraduate nursing students and identify factors that contribute to communication apprehension and communication self-efficacy.

BACKGROUND

Communication education and skills training is often incorporated into undergraduate nursing curricula; however, communication competence continues to be a problem for novice nurses. Communication apprehension is a concept that has been only minimally researched in nursing education and can have a negative impact on student communication readiness.

DESIGN

This study employed a cross-sectional design and surveyed a national sample of undergraduate nursing students between October 2022 and March 2023.

METHODS

An online survey was sent out to undergraduate nursing student members of the National Student Nurses Association as well as nursing education programs in 8 states and the District of Columbia. The survey was comprised of demographic questions, the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, and the communication subscale of the Nursing Student Self-Efficacy Survey.

RESULTS

Approximately 22.1 % of the students had high communication apprehension, with the highest communication apprehension in public speaking and classroom communication. Communication self-efficacy scores ranged from 12 to 40, with a mean of 31.65 (SD = 6.28). Communication apprehension and communication self-efficacy were significantly negatively correlated. Positive and negative affect were significant predictors of communication apprehension. Affect, as well as current healthcare employment were significant predictors of communication self-efficacy. When controlling for all demographic, educational, and psychological variables, communication apprehension was a significant predictor of communication self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is one of the few to explore communication apprehension in undergraduate nursing students. Data demonstrated that communication apprehension is a prevalent problem for many nursing students. Communication apprehension was also found to be a significant predictor of communication self-efficacy after controlling for all other variables. Progression through nursing education did not show a correlation with a decrease in the students' communication apprehension or increase in communication self-efficacy. Given these findings, educational efforts aimed at reducing communication apprehension and enhancing students' school-related affect could contribute to an improvement in communication self-efficacy.

Exploring communication apprehension in nursing and healthcare education: A scoping review

Communication among healthcare professionals is critical to optimizing patient outcomes, and communication education is incorporated into the educational programs of healthcare professions students. Communication can be a source of stress for new healthcare professionals, however, there is a lack of research on communication apprehension (CA) in healthcare students, especially in nursing education. This scoping review sought to explore CA and factors associated with CA among healthcare professions students. This scoping review report was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (Tricco et al., Annals of Internal Medicine, 2018, 169, 467-473). Twenty studies of healthcare professions students were included for analysis. The percentage of health professions students with high CA ranged from 0.7% to 27%. Five out of seven intervention studies demonstrated a significant decrease in CA after the intervention. This review identified inconsistent associations between CA and various individual and educational factors. More research is needed utilizing rigorous research designs, designs employing qualitative methodology, and studies to investigate the impact of language on CA in health professions students who speak English as a second language.

Evaluating third- and fourth-year veterinary students' communication skills knowledge and performance at Colorado State University

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of a communication program on a cohort of veterinary students' knowledge and performance of communication skills.

SAMPLE

Class cohort of veterinary students at Colorado State University.

PROCEDURES

Year 3 students' knowledge of communication skills was evaluated using quizzes, administered before and after the fall 2016 and spring 2017 Clinical Communication Skills-I and II junior practicum. In year 4, student performance of 22 Calgary-Cambridge Guide communication skills was assessed by coding video-recordings of student-client interactions collected during their second and fourth weeks of the Community Practice rotation in the summer and fall of 2017 and spring of 2018. The impact of training, association with demographic factors, and correlation between knowledge and performance of communication skills were investigated.

RESULTS

In year 3, 136 students completed both fall and spring quizzes; in year 4, 65 week-2 and 29 week-4 appointments were video-recorded during Community Practice rotation. Students' knowledge assessed via quizzes containing skill spotting and skill demonstrating questions increased significantly after the fall and spring junior practicums; however, knowledge of communication skills was not associated with performance during year 4 Community Practice rotations. Communication skills most frequently demonstrated by students during the fourth year Community Practice rotation were open-ended questions, closed-ended questions, empathy toward the client and patient, providing "chunks" of information, and signposting. Students received high quality scores for non-verbal behaviors and logical clinical interview structure.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Results suggest that experiential learning techniques, including a flipped classroom approach, role-play, and communication laboratories contributed to increased student knowledge of communication skills.

Analysis of Turkish Veterinary Students' Self-perception of Communication Competencies Based on Gender Differences

Communication skills are teachable and learnable skills, which have a vital position among other clinical skills because a student's ability to communicate can increase empathy. The focus of this article is to determine how senior students evaluate themselves regarding communication competence and whether gender has an impact on their perception. The study included 128 volunteering students, using the Communication Competence Scale, consisting of 30 questions, as a data collection tool and the independent samples t-test for statistical evaluations. The evaluation of all participants showed that male participants had the highest score, and female participants had the lowest. However, there was no statistically significant difference between female and male participants' total scores (p = 0.605). There was a statistically significant difference between female and male students in terms of the social competency, empathy, and adaptability. Female scores for empathy were statistically higher than those of males. Male students scored themselves higher than females in terms of social competency and adaptability. In the context of the students' perceptions of their communication competence, it was determined that females assessed themselves to be more empathetic and males perceived themselves to be more social and adaptable. This research is significant as it is the first study of Turkish veterinary students' self-perception of communication competence. Communication training may become more robust in veterinary curricula in Turkey, and further research will be affected by this issue.

Türk Veteriner Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin İletişim Yeterlikleri Algısının Cinsiyet Farklılıklarına Göre Analizi

İletişim becerileri, bir öğrencinin iletişim kurma yeteneği ile empati becerisini arttırabilmesi nedeniyle diğer klinik beceriler arasında önemli bir yere sahip olan öğretilebilir ve öğrenilebilir becerilerdir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, veteriner fakültesi son sınıf öğrencilerinin iletişim konusunda kendilerini nasıl değerlendirdiklerini ve cinsiyetin bu algı üzerinde bir etkisi olup olmadığını belirlemektir. Çalışma 128 gönüllü öğrenci ile 30 sorudan oluşan İletişim Yeterlilik Ölçeği kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiş, bağımsız örneklemlerde t-testi ile istatistiksel değerlendirme yapılmıştır. Yapılan değerlendirmeye göre, tüm katılımcılar arasında erkeklerin en yüksek puanı, kadınlar en düşük puanı aldığı görülmüştür. Ancak kadın ve erkeklerin toplam puanları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark bulunamamıştır (p=0.605). Kadın ve erkekler arasında sosyal yeterlilik, empati yeterliği ve uyum yeterliği açısından anlamlı fark bulunmuştur. Kadınlar empati yeterliğinde, erkekler ise sosyal yeterlilik ve uyum yeterliğinde daha yüksek puan almıştır. İletişim yeterlikleri algısı bakımından kadınlar kendilerini daha empatik, erkekler ise daha sosyal ve uyumlu bulmuştur. Bu çalışma Türk veteriner fakültesi öğrencilerinin iletişim yeterlikleri konusunda öz algılarını yansıtan ilk çalışma olması bakımından önemlidir. İletişim becerileri eğitimi Türkiye’de veteriner fakülteleri müfredatında daha güçlü hale gelecek ve bu konu ileri araştırmaların yapılmasını teşvik edecektir.

Evaluation of communication skills training programs at North American veterinary medical training institutions

OBJECTIVE

To describe how North American veterinary medical teaching institutions (VMTIs) provide communication skills training to students.

SAMPLE

Faculty coordinators of communication skills training programs (CSTPs) at 30 North American VMTIs.

PROCEDURES

An online survey instrument was designed and administered to each respondent followed by a telephone (n = 28) or in-person (2) interview. The survey and interview process were designed to evaluate all aspects of CSTPs, such as communication framework used, program format, number of student-contact hours, staffing models, outcome assessment, faculty background, program priorities, and challenges. Descriptive results were generated, and guidelines for future development of CSTPs were recommended.

RESULTS

27 US and 3 Canadian VMTIs were represented, and communication skills training was required at all. Twenty-five CSTPs used the Calgary-Cambridge Guide framework. Respondents provided a mean of 33 student-contact hours of training, primarily in the first 3 years of the veterinary curriculum in lecture (mean, 12 hours), communication laboratory (13 hours), and self-study (8 hours) formats with formative feedback. Communication skills training was integrated with other disciplines at 27 VMTIs. Most CSTPs were coordinated and taught by 1 faculty member with a < 0.50 full-time equivalent commitment and no administrative support. Stated priorities included acquisition of resources for CSTP faculty, administrative support, and video-equipped facilities; increasing integration of CSTPs into curricula; and assessment of educational outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Results suggested that support for CSTPs and recognition of their value continue to grow, but a lack of resources, faculty expertise, validated methods for outcomes assessment, and leadership remain challenges.

Measurement of leadership skills development among veterinary students and veterinary professionals participating in an experiential leadership program (the Veterinary Leadership Experience)

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate outcomes associated with an experiential leadership program (the Veterinary Leadership Experience [VLE]) among participants 1 year after program completion.

SAMPLE

157 veterinary students and 61 veterinary professionals who participated in the 2015 or 2016 VLE.

PROCEDURES

Participants completed various instruments to assess emotional intelligence, psychological flexibility, resilience, and client-communication skills prior to (pretest) and 1 year after (posttest) attending the VLE; pretest and posttest findings were compared for all but client-communication skills, for which only posttest responses were analyzed. An additional posttest instrument assessed the impact that the VLE had on key knowledge areas (ie, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relational competence, communication skills, and conflict management skills) and overall impact.

RESULTS

1 year after completing the VLE, participants reported that the program had a high impact on all key knowledge areas; the impact on social awareness and overall impact was significantly higher for veterinary students than for veterinary professionals. Veterinary professionals reported a greater increase in emotional intelligence after program completion than did veterinary students. For each assessed client-communication skill, the percentage of veterinary professionals who reported increased confidence in that skill after program completion was lower than the corresponding percentage of veterinary students. Resilience and psychological flexibility scores did not increase after program completion.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Assessment of the effectiveness and long-term outcomes of experiential leadership programs is important to understanding whether such programs are having the intended effect. Veterinary students and veterinary professionals who were assessed 1 year after completing the VLE reported improvements in leadership skills foundational to the program.

Impact of Team Communication Training on Performance and Self-Assessment of Team Functioning during Sophomore Surgery

Collaboration and teamwork are important skills for veterinary professionals that affect relationship development, health and well-being, financial success, and clinical outcomes. This study explores the impact of team communication training on performance and assessment of team functioning during second-year surgery by comparing two different classes. The class of 2017 (control group) received no formal training in team communication before their participation in surgery, and the class of 2018 (treatment group) participated in training offered through a dedicated team communication course. Results showed that team training increased surgical preparation times and had a positive impact on perceptions of competence in some teamwork behaviors. Both cohorts identified similar challenges and solutions associated with teamwork, although the team-trained students responded to challenges differently than the control group. Team communication training had a positive impact on students' ability to plan and organize their experiences, navigate team dynamics in the moment, and respond to stress in a positive manner. These findings suggest that team training does, in fact, make a difference in students' abilities to navigate a team task productively.

Tracking Veterinary Students' Acquisition of Communication Skills and Clinical Communication Confidence by Comparing Student Performance in the First and Twenty-Seventh Standardized Client Encounters

The American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education mandates that veterinary students graduate with competence in clinical communication. Communication competence facilitates the successful transition of students into clinical practice by improving veterinary client satisfaction and reducing the risk of litigation. Curricular experimentation with communications training has led to innovative approaches to this content area, including the adoption of standardized patients from human health care education. Although the use of standardized clients (SCs) is time and resource intensive, their use by veterinary educators has allowed students to work through authentic cases in a safe learning environment in which learner goals drive training. Despite the increasing popularity of SC-based communications curricula, outcomes assessment studies that track the resultant student growth are lacking. Ninety students in the inaugural class of 2018 at Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine participated in 27 SC encounters over eight consecutive quarters. Students' use of Calgary-Cambridge Guide communication skills was compared in the first and twenty-seventh encounters. On the basis of SC evaluations of student performance, students increased their use of all communication skills in the final encounter compared with baseline. Students were also more likely to take a comprehensive patient history, build rapport, and retain the client. Mean scores for pre- and post-encounter communication confidence, as self-reported by students, also increased. These findings support that a SC-rich curriculum facilitates student acquisition of communication skills and promotes confidence when students approach entry-level clinical tasks such as history taking.

ComSciCon-Triangle: Regional Science Communication Training for Graduate Students

The ability of scientists to effectively communicate their research, and scientific ideas in general, with a variety of audiences is critical in both academic and non-academic careers. There is currently a dearth of formal and informal science communication training opportunities for graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This curriculum paper introduces ComSciCon-Triangle, a graduate student-organized science communication workshop for graduate students in STEM at research universities in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, region. Started in 2015, this annual workshop aims to empower graduate students to be more engaged in communicating their research with the public as well as with fellow scientists. Each workshop consists of interactive panel discussions with invited science communicators (science writers, academics, filmmakers, etc.), informal networking opportunities with invited guests and other attendees, and hands-on sessions for improving oral and written communication skills. Analyzing pre- and post-survey data from all ComSciCon-Triangle attendees from 2015 to 2017, we find that workshop attendees feel significantly more confident in their ability to communicate scientific ideas with both the general public and with other scientists, and more confident submitting a written piece to a popular science publication or journal. We discuss how ComSciCon-Triangle serves as a model for local science communication workshops "for graduate students, organized by graduate students."