Evaluating the nonverbal communication skills of nursing students

This study examined the accuracy rate of judging nonverbal skills used by nursing students in communicating with patients. Self-ratings of the students were compared with composite instructor ratings to find areas of disagreement regarding the quality of the nonverbal skills. Students who rated their nonverbal acuity higher than the instructors and students who rated their nonverbal acuity lower than the instructors were parceled out of the total sample of 92 senior nursing students enrolled in a baccalaureate program. Nonverbal acuity was measured by asking subjects to identify nonverbal information about emotional states from pictures. A November Picture Test consisting of 120 pictorial items was utilized as the dependent variable. Results showed that almost one half of the sample disagreed with the instructor rating applied to their nonverbal skills with patients. The differences between the groups was significant at the 0.05 level and the students were accurate in designating the direction of difference. Results are discussed in relation to clinical evaluation by both faculty and students in appraising communication skills. Implications such as grade inflation are discussed and recommendations for further study are covered.