Global Journal of Health Science; Vol. 7, No. 4; 2015 ISSN 1916-9736 E-ISSN 1916-9744 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education
Evaluation of Nursing Students’ Communication Abilities in Clinical Courses in Hospitals Mahnaz Shafakhah1, Ladan Zarshenas2, Farkhondeh Sharif3 & Raheleh Sabet Sarvestani4 1
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Student research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
2
Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Member of quality improvement in clinical education research center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
3
Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Community Based Nursing and Midwifery Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
4
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
Correspondence: Dr. Ladan Zarshenas, Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Member of quality improvement in clinical education research center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. E-mail:
[email protected] Received: October 8, 2014 doi:10.5539/gjhs.v7n4p323
Accepted: November 13, 2014
Online Published: January 25, 2015
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v7n4p323
Abstract Background: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has established, improving communication as a priority for improving patient safety since 2006. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate nursing students’ communication abilities to recognize their strengths and weaknesses in communication skills. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2014. The study participants included all the nursing students who passed two semesters in Fatemeh School of Nursing and Midwifery in Shiraz, Iran. The students’ communication skills were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS statistical software (v. 16) and analyzed using both descriptive (mean and percentage) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and ANOVA). Results: Among the 200 students who completed the questionnaires, 58% were female and 42% were male with the mean age of 21.79 years (SD=2.14). The results of Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between the nursing students’ clinical communication behavior scores and treatment communication ability scores (P
