Effectiveness of hybrid teaching methods in improving communication: A single-arm pre-post study using communication...

Effective communication is critical for ensuring patient safety, enhancing outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. Recognizing that communication skills are influenced by both inherent ability and structured training, a communication skills workshop was conducted to evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing nurses' knowledge and communication competencies and to gather insights for future improvements.

An interventional pre-post single-arm study was conducted in February 2019 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. A convenience sampling technique was used, enrolling 140 nurses from various departments. A hybrid teaching-learning approach consisting of four modules-overcoming communication barriers, empathy and compassion in patient care, breaking bad news, and communication's role in patient safety-was employed. Effectiveness was assessed through pre- and post-training tests and structured feedback forms. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and Pearson's correlation tests using SPSS-16.

There was a significant improvement in nurses' communication knowledge and skills from pre-test (mean = 13.217 ± 2.91) to post-test (mean = 15.065 ± 2.87; P < 0.05). More than 95% of participants rated the workshop as very good or excellent, and all participants agreed that the workshop objectives were met.

The communication workshop was effective in enhancing the knowledge and information of the participating nurses. Based on these findings, it is proposed to integrate regular, interactive, and extended training sessions into the continuing education programs for nurses. These modifications are expected to further improve communication practices and ultimately enhance patient care outcomes.