A quasi-experimental evaluation of a psychological support communication training program on nurse competencies and...

Psychological distress is common among hospitalized patients yet often insufficiently addressed due to nurses' limited training and low confidence in providing emotional support. Although communication is central to psychological care, evidence on structured programs that evaluate both nurse competencies and patient-reported outcomes remains limited.

To examine whether participation in a structured psychological support communication training program was associated with improvements in individual-level nurse outcomes and ward-level patient-reported outcomes.

A ward-clustered quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was conducted in a medical center in Taiwan. Eight wards were allocated to intervention or control groups. Nurses in intervention wards (n = 60) received structured experiential training; those in control wards (n = 61) did not. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Individual-level nurse outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models adjusting for baseline and ward clustering. Patient satisfaction and quality-of-life scores were treated as repeated cross-sectional ward-level aggregates.

Nurses in intervention wards showed greater improvements in communication knowledge, attitudes, skills, confidence, and job stress, with significant group × time interactions for most competencies. Ward-level patient satisfaction and quality of life favored intervention wards at 3 months but were not sustained at 6 months. No individual-level linkage between nurse competencies and patient outcomes could be determined, consistent with the ward-level aggregated design.

Participation in the communication training program was associated with favorable improvements in nurse outcomes. Sustained reinforcement and organizational support may be required to maintain nurse gains and preserve initially favorable ward-level patient-reported outcome patterns.