Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Dec 23:12:1510620.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1510620. eCollection 2024.

Effect of two teaching methods on nursing students' acquisition of patient-centered communication competence in older people care: a cluster randomized trial

Alda Elena Cortés-Rodríguez  1   2 , María Mar López-Rodríguez  1   2 , Pablo Roman  1   2 , José Granero-Molina  1   3 , Cayetano Fernández-Sola  1   3 , José Manuel Hernández-Padilla  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of two teaching methods on nursing students' acquisition of patient-centered communication competence in older people care: a cluster randomized trial

Alda Elena Cortés-Rodríguez et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Patient-centered communication is an essential skill in nursing, particularly in the care of older adult patients. However, generation Z nursing students, who primarily communicate through digital platforms, face unique challenges in adapting to traditional face-to-face communication with older adults. As a result, there is a need for teaching methods that align with this generation's learning style to enhance their communication skills. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two teaching methods-standardized patient simulation and role-play-on nursing students' acquisition of patient-centered communication competence in older people care.

Methods: A controlled cluster-randomized trial was conducted with 124 nursing students, divided into eight teaching groups. Students participated in either a standardized patient simulation or a role-play workshop, each consisting of a 1.5-h online module and a 1.5-h face-to-face session. The three components of patient-centered communication competence-knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy-were assessed using simulated scenarios at pre-test, post-test, and 6-week follow-up. Between-group and within-group differences were measured based on the number of students who achieved competence.

Results: Both interventions significantly improved students' knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy in patient-centered communication between pre- and post-tests, with improvements maintained at follow-up. No significant differences were found between the two methods.

Conclusions: Both standardized patient simulation and role-play are effective in enhancing patient-centered communication competence in older people care. However, neither method was found to be superior in teaching knowledge, skills, or self-efficacy.

Keywords: generation Z; nursing; older people; patient-centered communication; role-play; simulation; standardized patient.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart for study design.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Banco Mundial. Población de 65 años de edad y más (% del total) (2022). Available at: https://datos.bancomundial.org/indicator/SPPOP65UPTOZS?end=2019&start=1960 (accessed March 18, 2023).
    1. Adibelli D, Kiliç D. Difficulties experienced by nurses in older patient care and their attitudes toward the older patients. Nurse Educ Tod. (2013) 33:1074–8. 10.1016/j.nedt.2012.04.002 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hafskjold L, Sundler AJ, Holmström IK, Sundling V, Van Dulmen S, Eide H, et al. . cross-sectional study on person-centred communication in the care of older people: the COMHOME study protocol. Br Med J Open. (2015) 5:7864. 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007864 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Williams KN, Perkhounkova Y, Jao YL, Bossen A, Hein M, Chung S, et al. . Person-centered communication for nursing home residents with dementia: four communication analysis methods. West J Nurs Res. (2018) 40:1012–31. 10.1177/0193945917697226 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Deane WH, Fain JA. Incorporating Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations to promote holistic communication between older adults and nursing students. J Holist Nurs. (2016) 34:35–41. 10.1177/0898010115577975 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources