Effect of a CVIS instructional program regarding therapeutic communication on student learning and anxiety

This quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design study explored the effect of a computer video-interactive system (CVIS) instructional program regarding therapeutic communication on senior baccalaureate nursing students' learning and anxiety as they anticipated interaction with patients in psychiatric settings. The 75 subjects were randomly divided into two groups. Group I received a basic lecture and a supplementary CVIS instructional program on therapeutic communication, while Group II received the same lecture discussion on therapeutic communication and a videotape. Two hypotheses were tested, using analyses of covariance. Hypothesis I, that Group I would score significantly higher on a therapeutic communication posttest than would Group II, was supported (P less than .001). This finding validates previous observations that computer-video interaction programs do enhance learners' application of knowledge. Hypothesis II, that Group I would evidence significantly less state anxiety at posttest than would Group II, was not supported. Although there were no significant differences for state anxiety scores between the groups at either pretest or posttest, these scores remained higher than reported normative state anxiety scores. This finding suggests that anticipated interaction with psychiatric patients is an anxiety-inducing situation for nursing students.