Communication skills in nursing: A phenomenologically-based communication training approach

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Communication Studies
• Phenomenology

Background:

• Nurses often struggle with patient dialogue due to time constraints, organizational issues, and personal factors.
• Effective communication is crucial for patient care but is an underdeveloped skill in many healthcare professionals.
• Existing communication training methods may not fully address the nuances of patient-centered dialogue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel communication skills training curriculum for nursing students grounded in phenomenology.
• To equip nursing students with enhanced abilities to focus on and understand patient and family narratives.
• To underscore the importance of communication skills training in nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Developed a curriculum based on phenomenological principles, emphasizing patient narratives.
• Included practical steps and philosophical underpinnings for the training program.
• Compared the phenomenological approach with other communication methods like motivational interviewing and empathy training.

Main Results:

• The curriculum systematically trains students to focus on patients' and relatives' narratives.
• This approach facilitates reflection and deeper understanding of the patient's situation.
• The method is adaptable to various clinical settings requiring attention to patient experiences.

Conclusions:

• The phenomenological approach enhances nurses' role as dialogue partners.
• Highlights the critical need for integrated communication skills training in nursing curricula.
• Suggests this model can be refined for developing generic communicative competence in nurses.