Improving nursing students' communication skills using crew resource management strategies

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Communication
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial for optimal patient care.
• Crew Resource Management (CRM) is a proven system for managing human error in aviation.
• CRM principles can be adapted to enhance teamwork and communication in nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a modified CRM program for nursing students.
• To assess student satisfaction with the CRM-nursing intervention.
• To determine if students could apply learned communication techniques in a simulated environment.

Main Methods:

• A Crew Resource Management-nursing (CRM-N) program was implemented with senior undergraduate nursing students.
• Student satisfaction surveys were administered post-program.
• A subsequent simulation assessed the application of learned communication and teamwork skills.

Main Results:

• Students reported high satisfaction with the CRM-N program.
• Participants demonstrated the ability to effectively utilize communication techniques learned during the training in a simulated patient care scenario.
• The study indicated successful adaptation of CRM principles for nursing education.

Conclusions:

• CRM-N training is a valuable tool for enhancing communication and teamwork in nursing education.
• This intervention shows promise for improving patient safety through better interprofessional communication.
• Further research should explore broader implementation and long-term impacts of CRM-N.