The power of virtual connections: A randomized controlled trial of online positive psychotherapy training on effective communication skills of nursing students.

AIM: This research aimed to assess the impact of the online "Positive Psychotherapy- Based Key Model of Courtesy and Integrity" (KMCI)" program on the effective communication skills of nursing students. BACKGROUND: With the growing integration of virtual platforms in psychotherapy education, there is a burgeoning interest in understanding their influence on nursing student's communication abilities. Recognizing how online positive psychotherapy education shapes these skills is pivotal for enriching nursing education and practice. DESIGN: The study adopted a pre-test-post-test randomized controlled design and involved 64 undergraduate nursing students from a state university's nursing department during the 2021-2022 academic year, all enrolled in psychiatric nursing courses. METHODS: Students were divided into experimental and control groups through simple randomization. Pre-tests, encompassing a "Personal Information Form" and an "Effective Communication Skills Scale," were administered to both groups. Subsequently, the experimental group received the "Positive Psychotherapy- Based Key Model of Courtesy and Integrity" program online for five weeks, while no intervention was provided to the control group during this period. Post-tests were then conducted for both groups after five weeks. RESULTS: The findings revealed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the total scores of sub-dimensions, including "Ego-Enhancing Language, Active Listening, Self-Disclosure and Recognition, Empathy and Self-Language Scale" in the experimental group in both intra-group and inter-group comparisons. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the "Positive Psychotherapy- Based Key Model of Courtesy and Integrity" program effectively enhances practical communication skills among nursing students. Equipping students with the ability to integrate courtesy and integrity isn't effective.

The impact of effective communication skills training on the status of marital burnout among married women.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the impact of effective communication skills training intervention on the marital burnout among married women referring to health centers. METHODS: In this quasi-experimental study, 94 participants were selected from a descriptive study from among 936 married women referring to health centers who had a high rate of marital burnout and were randomly divided to the experimental group (n = 47) and control group (n = 47). The educational intervention was designed and performed in 7 sessions of 45 min for the experimental group. In the two stages before and after the intervention, the demographic sections, the Pines Marital Burnout Scale and effective communication skills were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24 and inferential test of Chi-square, Paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups before the intervention (p > 0.05). Performing the intervention in the experimental group significantly reduced the mean score of total marital burnout from 60.51 (± 14.96) to 51.82 (± 11.90), and reduced the mean score of marital burnout subscales, including physical, mental and emotional burnout. Also, in this study, the educational intervention of the experimental group significantly improved effective communication skills, and the mean score of effective communication skills increased from 85.12 (± 15.86) to 97.95 (± 14.53) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the positive impact of effective communication skills on reducing marital burnout, it is recommended that more attention should be paid to enhancing these skills in spouses and pre-marital programs.

Improving oral health literacy - the new standard in dental hygiene practice.

PURPOSE: Oral diseases continue to burden a significant portion of the American public, especially those in low-income groups. The misconception that oral health is less important than general health exists among America's citizens even though it has been 13 years since the Surgeon General's report affirmed oral health as an essential component of general health. Research has shown that poor oral health literacy (OHL) affects oral health, can negatively influence quality of life and has a significant financial impact on society. National initiatives to increase the OHL levels of American citizens include training health care professionals about effective communication skills and disseminating oral health information to groups outside of dentistry. This paper describes a new course on OHL and communication techniques for dental hygiene students at the University of Maryland, School of Dentistry.

Barriers and facilitating communication skills for breaking bad news: from the specialists’ practice perspective / Barreras y facilitadores en la comunicación de malas noticias: Perspectiva desde la práctica de médicos especialistas

Introduction: Breaking bad news is one of a physician’s most difficult duties. There are several studies related to the patient’s needs, but few reflect on the doctors’ experience. Materials and method: A descriptive, cross-sectional research was carried out to study issues related to the process of delivering bad news which might act as barriers and facilitating skills from the doctor’s point of view. These issues were identified through a self-administered survey. Results: Participant doctors use different strategies to communicate bad news to their patients. Examples of these strategies are: to be familiar with the patients’ medical history, to ensure that there is enough time, to know the patient’s caregivers and/or relatives, to determine the patient’s level of knowledge about his/her condition, to use non-technical words, to give information in small pieces, to assess the patient’s understanding, to devise a joint action plan, among others. Conclusion: The communication barriers that were identified focused on the emotional issues of the communication process, particularly those related to the recognition of own emotions, and the limited training about communication strategies available to doctors. Consequently, there is a need to implement training programs that provide doctors with tools to facilitate the bad news communication process.

Introducción: La comunicación de malas noticias es una de las tareas más difíciles que deben enfrentar los profesionales de la salud. Existen múltiples estudios acerca de las necesidades del paciente, pero pocos que tengan en cuenta la experiencia de los médicos. Materiales y método: Se realizó una investigación descriptiva, transversal para estudiar aspectos del proceso de comunicación de malas noticias que pueden actuar como barreras y facilitadores desde la percepción del médico; identificados por medio de una encuesta auto-aplicable. Resultados: Los médicos participantes utilizan distintas estrategias durante la comunicación de malas noticias a sus pacientes como: conocer los detalles de la historia clínica, asegurarse de tener tiempo suficiente, conocer a los acompañantes e identificar cuánto sabe el paciente acerca de su situación, utilizar vocabulario sencillo, dar la información por partes, comprobar que el paciente esté comprendiendo, formular en conjunto un plan que se ha de seguir, entre otros. Conclusiones: Las barreras comunicativas identificadas se centraron en los aspectos emocionales del proceso comunicativo, específicamente en lo relacionado con la identificación de emociones propias, y en la limitada formación que reciben los médicos en estrategias comunicativas, lo que genera la necesidad de implementar programas de capacitación que les brinden herramientas para facilitar el proceso de comunicación de malas noticias.