Communication skills training as part of a problem-based learning curriculum

Communication skills are an essential element of professionalism. The goal of the problem-based learning (PBL) model is to provide nursing students with the communication skills needed in the helping process. This article addresses the structure of communication skills training at the Dokuz Eylül University School of Nursing. There, students work within a module, first determining the part of the scenario related to communication, adapting this as a learning topic, and then learning the communication skills related to that topic on a cognitive level. A communication laboratory has been set up to permit implementation of the communication skills related to the topic within each learning module. This is necessary because communication requires both knowledge and skill development. Another important facet of communication skills training in this PBL model is that this training occurs during a 4-year learning period. In keeping with the structure of the PBL curriculum, the aim of this study was to provide students first with the skills for self-communication, then for communication with other healthy individuals and groups, and finally, for communication with individuals and groups with specific problems.