Evaluation of the effectiveness of online communication training focused on maintaining perinatal patient safety for nursing students

This research was conducted as a mixed design to evaluate the effectiveness of the communication training program given online to nursing students, which includes the elements of the LISTEN②ME communication tool, which was developed as a result of needs analysis, focused on maintaining perinatal patient safety. The sample of the randomized controlled part of the study consisted of 80 students (intervention group n=40, control group n=40) studying in the 4th grade of the Faculty of Nursing in the fall semester of the 2021-2022 academic year at Hacettepe University and was accepted to participate in the study. The students in the intervention group LISTEN②ME communication tool focused on maintaining perinatal patient safety. No intervention was made for the control group students. The sample of the qualitative dimension of the study consisted of a total of 24 students who were in the intervention group. A total of four focus group interviews were conducted with six students in each group. The research data were collected using a survey, Effective Communication Skills Evaluation Form among the Health Professionals, Self-Assessment Form for the Effective Communication between Health Professionals, and Semi-Structured Focus Group Interview Form. In the data analysis, numbers, percentage distributions, mean, standard deviation, T-test, and Kendall Tau-b correlation analysis were used. Thematic content analysis was used in the evaluation of qualitative data. It was determined that the students in the intervention group had a significant increase in their effective communication skills (p<0.001) and effective communication skills self-assessment (p<0.001) score averages at the end of the training compared to the control group. The codes that emerged in the focus group interviews conducted to determine the students' views on the education program; to be instructive, providing the opportunity to see examples of effective and ineffective communication, raise awareness, providing an opportunity for self-assessment through observation, providing learning by experience, to be understandable, to be memorable, reinforcing program content, and increase self-confidence, etc. According to the data obtained from the research, it was determined that the communication training program, which includes the elements of LISTEN②ME communication tool focused on maintaining perinatal patient safety, is effective in gaining effective communication skills to students. It is recommended to integrate LISTEN②ME communication tool elements into the education programs given to nursing students to maintain perinatal patient safety.