Effectiveness of a Virtual Communication Laboratory in Enhancing Therapeutic Communication Skills in Nursing Students

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based Virtual Communication Laboratory, which was developed to include informative content, interactive exercises, and animated practice videos, on nursing students' therapeutic and nontherapeutic communication skills. This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 39 fourth-year nursing students from a public university in Türkiye who were enrolled in a 14-week clinical mental health nursing internship. Students used the Virtual Communication Laboratory in the eighth week. The Therapeutic Communication Skills Scale for Nursing Students was administered in the 7th (pretest) and 14th (posttest) weeks. The scale assessed students' self-reported frequency of using specific communication techniques during clinical practice. Mean scores improved from 18.66 to 14.02 for Nontherapeutic Communication Skills, from 28.17 to 34.02 for Therapeutic Communication Skills I, and from 17.92 to 19.46 for Therapeutic Communication Skills II (all P <.001). Students rated the platform highly for ease of use and usefulness, and reported that it facilitated reflection and aligned with clinical scenarios. The Virtual Communication Laboratory offers a user-friendly and engaging learning experience that supports the development of therapeutic communication skills. Given the growing importance of blended learning environments, these findings suggest its potential as a valuable complementary tool in nursing education.