Improving Communication Skill Competency in the Emergency Department through Role Play and Direct Observation

PURPOSE: Good communication between patient and medical staff in an emergency department (ED) fosters patient satisfaction and improves healthcare outcomes. Assessment and implementation of training is key in providing better patient care. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of providing communication skills training to ED physicians and nurses using problem identification, role playing and direct observation. METHODS: The ED faculty in collaboration with an external communications expert group developed a communication skills training manual. The training group participated in simulated patient scenarios followed by video feedback and debriefing sessions. The participants were assessed on their communication skills while delivering care to live patients in real clinical situations before and after the training. The communication skills of the training group were compared with those of the control group. RESULTS: A total of 28 residents and nurses from two departments were enrolled in this study. Pre- to post-training scores (scale 1-5) for the training group improved from 3.0 [2.8, 3.9] to 3.9 [3.1, 4.3] (p=0.025). However, the pre- and post-score difference between the training and control groups was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Role play training has been found to be effective in improving communication skills. However, future research is required to develop a more effective training method and determine how to facilitate training implementation in complex clinical healthcare settings, such as the ED.

International Collaborative Faculty Development Program on Simulation-Based Healthcare Education: A Report on Its Successes and Challenges / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: Countries that are less experienced with simulation-based healthcare education (SBHE) often import Western programs to initiate their efforts to deliver effective simulation training. Acknowledging cultural differences, we sought to determine whether faculty development program on SBHE in the United States could be transported successfully to train faculty members in Korea. METHODS: An international, collaborative, multi-professional program from a pre-existing Western model was adapted. The process focused on prioritization of curricular elements based on local needs, translation of course materials, and delivery of the program in small group facilitation exercises. Three types of evaluation data were collected: participants' simulation experience; participants' ratings of the course; and participant's self-assessment of the impact of the course on their knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) toward simulation teaching. RESULTS: Thirty faculty teachers participated in the course. Eighty percent of the participants answered that they spent less than 25% of their time as simulation instructors. Time spent on planning, scenario development, delivering training, research, and administrative work ranged from 10% to 30%. Twenty-eight of 30 participants agreed or strongly agreed that the course was excellent and relevant to their needs. The participants' assessment of the impact of the course on their KSA toward simulation teaching improved significantly. CONCLUSION: Although there were many challenges to overcome, a systematic approach in the adaptation of a Western simulation faculty development course model was successfully implemented in Korea, and the program improves self-confidence and learning in participants.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Resuscitation Self-efficacy Scale for Nurses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate psychometric properties of the instrument, Resuscitation Self-Efficacy Scale for nurses. METHODS: This was a methodological study for instrument development and psychometric testing. The initial item pool derived from literature review and experts resulted in 30 items linked to resuscitation self-efficacy. A convenience sample of 509 Korean nurses from eleven academic teaching hospitals participated in a survey to examine psychometric properties of the scale. To examine construct validity, exploratory factor analysis and known-group comparison were used. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was used to determine the scale's internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: The final scale included 17 items with four-component structure termed 'Recognition', 'Debriefing and recording', 'Responding and rescuing', and 'Reporting'. These four factors accounted for 57.5% of the variance. Each subscale and the total scale demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency: .82; .88; .87; .83; and .91 respectively. Experienced nurses reported significantly higher self-efficacy mean scores in both total and subscales compared to new graduate nurses. CONCLUSION: The Resuscitation Self-Efficacy Scale for nurses yields reliable and valid results in appraising the level of resuscitation self-efficacy for Korean nurses. Further study is needed to test and refine the scale.