Date of Award

August 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

First Advisor

Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Abstract

Healthcare is analogous to a team sport where effective communication is vital for the success of all members of the team. If communication is ineffective – or absent – between members of the healthcare team and their patients, then issues move beyond the concern of patient satisfaction, to matters of life and death. Patients who put their well-being in the hands of a healthcare team deserve to feel safe and to receive high-quality care, delivered by the most compassionate and qualified care team possible. Barriers to effective communication continue to challenge healthcare teams, further compromising the nurse-patient relationship. A total of 155 undergraduate nursing students from CCNE accredited schools across the Midwest region of the United States were recruited using convenience sampling. Students were surveyed using valid and reliable instruments, including PRCA-24, CSAS, and CES to evaluate their perception of interpersonal communication skills in nursing. Significant findings across all age groups and class levels revealed those surveyed did not view communication skills as a valuable component to their career or ability to be a good nurse. Respondents also revealed that if they experienced difficulty relating to a patient, they would not make an effort to advance the relationship. These findings raise concerns about the nurse-patient relationship and its ability to impact patient safety and positive patient outcomes. Nurse educators are in the position to foster communication skills in students through safe, interactive learning approaches and environments. After all, helping nurses understand the role that the nurse-patient relationship has in positive patient outcomes starts with the nurse as student.

Download

Share

COinS