Download PDF
CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU 2024; 14(02): 235-242
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1769581
Original Article

Efficacy of Communication Skill Training on Knowledge and Skill of Nursing Students in Conveying Diagnosis to Patients with Cancer: A Pilot Study Approach

Viji Prasad
1   Yenepoya Nursing College, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Deralakatte, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
,
Poonam Naik
2   Department of Community Medicine, Yenepoya Medical College, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
,
Alphonsa Ancheril
3   Athena College of Nursing, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Introduction Procuring communication skills that enable nurses to be effective yet person-centeredness is increasingly a hallmark of quality cancer care. The growing importance of patient outcomes and experiences in health care may mean that communication skill training is finally getting the attention it so clearly deserves.

Objectives The main objectives of the study were to assess the efficacy of communication skill training on knowledge and skills of nursing students in conveying diagnosis to patients with cancer.

Materials and Methods Quasi-experimental pretest–posttest with control group research design was adopted for the study. A total of 32 third-year BSc nursing students (intervention group, 16; control group, 16) were selected by nonprobability purposive sampling technique from two selected colleges at Mangaluru. Baseline proforma, self-administered knowledge questionnaire, and breaking bad news assessment schedule were used for data collection. Tools were validated by 11 subject experts. Communication skill training was provided for 8 hours (2 hours of theory and 6 hours of skill training on conveying diagnosis). A blinding method was adopted to assess the skill of the students that enable to avoid subjectivity.

Results The mean age of participants in the intervention group was 20.56 and of participants in the control group was 20.94. All participants (100%) of both the intervention and control groups were females. The results showed there was a significant difference found in knowledge scores (t = 8.52, p = 0.000) between the intervention and control groups after the intervention. There was a significant improvement found in conveying diagnosis skills among students between the intervention and control groups in different time periods. There was a slight positive correlation found between pretest knowledge scores and eliciting concerns domain of conveying diagnosis skill (r = 0.57, p = 0.023).

Conclusion The study results revealed that communication skill training session was very effective for improving the knowledge and skills of students, and it enables them in providing quality care to patients with cancer through effective communication.

Keywords

efficacy - communication skill training - nursing students - conveying diagnosis - patients with cancer

Source(s) of Support in the Form of Grants

No financial support received for this study.


Statement by All Authors

All authors have read the manuscript and accepted that the requirements for the authorship have been met and believe that the manuscript represents honest work.


Authors' Contributions

All researchers contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data or analysis, interpretation of data drafting, and revising of the paper and agreed to be responsible for all the aspects of this work.


● V. P. C: Contributed to conception, design, acquisition of data or analysis, interpretation of data, drafting, and revising of paper. Manuscript prepared and shared to all researchers for their suggestions and modifications. Suggestions and modifications incorporated in the manuscript.


● P. N.: Contributed to design (methodology), data analysis, interpretation of data, drafting, and revising of research paper.


● A.: Contributed to design (methodology), data analysis, interpretation of data, drafting, and revising of research paper.


Statement of Institutional Review Board Approval and/or Statement of Conforming to the Declaration of Helsinki

Approval from the Scientific Review Board of Yenepoya Nursing College and Institutional Ethics Committee, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), was obtained.




Publication History

Article published online:
16 June 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Tay LH, Ang E, Hegney D. Nurses' perceptions of the barriers in effective communication with inpatient cancer adults in Singapore. J Clin Nurs 2012; 21 (17–18): 2647-2658
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Banerjee SC, Manna R, Coyle N. et al. Oncology nurses' communication challenges with patients and families: a qualitative study. Nurse Educ Pract 2016; 16 (01) 193-201
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Hack TF, Ruether JD, Pickles T, Bultz BD, Chateau D, Degner LF. Behind closed doors II: systematic analysis of prostate cancer patients' primary treatment consultations with radiation oncologists and predictors of satisfaction with communication. Psychooncology 2012; 21 (08) 809-817
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 World Health Organization.. Cancer [Internet]. 2017 [cited May 23. 2017]. Accessed at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/
  • 5 NCCN.org.. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology [Internet]. 2017 accessed on May 23, 2022. Accessed at: https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp#supportive
    Google Scholar
  • 6 Mahendran R, Lim HA, Chua J, Lim SE, Kua EH. Psychosocial concerns of cancer patients in Singapore. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol 2017; 13 (02) e96-e103
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Chan EA, Wong F, Cheung MY, Lam W. Patients' perceptions of their experiences with nurse-patient communication in oncology settings: a focused ethnographic study. PLoS One 2018; 13 (06) e0199183
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Martin EJ, Rich SE, Jones JA, Dharmarajan KV. Communication skill frameworks: applications in radiation oncology. Ann Palliat Med 2019; 8 (03) 293-304
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Martin P. Clinical communication: a core clinical skill that underpins quality cancer care. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs 2022; 9 (08) 100067
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Back AL, Arnold RM, Baile WF. et al. Efficacy of communication skills training for giving bad news and discussing transitions to palliative care. Arch Intern Med 2007; 167 (05) 453-460
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Kruser JM, Taylor LJ, Campbell TC. et al. Best case/worst case: training surgeons to use a novel communication tool for high-risk acute surgical problems. J Pain Symptom Manage 2017; 53 (04) 711-719.e5
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Clayton JM, Hancock KM, Butow PN. et al Clinical practice guidelines for communicating prognosis and end-of-life issues with adults in the advanced stages of life-limiting illnesses and their caregivers. Med J Aust 186 (S12): S77-S105
    Google Scholar
  • 13 Elias RM, Fischer KM, Siddiqui MA. et al. A taxonomic review of patient complaints in adult hospital medicine. J Patient Exp 2021; 8: 23 743735211007351
    Google Scholar
  • 14 Meredith C, Symonds P, Webster L. et al. Information needs of cancer patients in west Scotland: cross sectional survey of patients' views. BMJ 1996; 313 (7059): 724-726
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Back AL, Arnold RM, Baile WF, Tulsky JA, Fryer-Edwards K. Approaching difficult communication tasks in oncology. CA Cancer J Clin 2005; 55 (03) 164-177
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Fallowfield L, Jenkins V, Farewell V, Saul J, Duffy A, Eves R. Efficacy of a Cancer Research UK communication skills training model for oncologists: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2002; 359 (9307): 650-656
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Boissy A, Windover AK, Bokar D. et al. Communication skills training for physicians improves patient satisfaction. J Gen Intern Med 2016; 31 (07) 755-761
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Miller SJ, Hope T, Talbot DC. The development of a structured rating schedule (the BAS) to assess skills in breaking bad news. Br J Cancer 1999; 80 (5/6): 792-800
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Baile W, Buckman R, Lenzi E. et al. A SPIKES – a six step protocol for delivering bad news: Application to the Patient with Cancer. The Oncologist 2000; 5 (04) 302-311
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Gorniewicz J, Floyd M, Krishnan K, Bishop TW, Tudiver F, Lang F. Breaking bad news to patients with cancer: a randomized control trial of a brief communication skills training module incorporating the stories and preferences of actual patients. Patient Educ Couns 2017; 100 (04) 655-666
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Gholami Baroughi S, Ravanipour M, Jahanpour F, Bayandari F. Nursing students and conveying bad news to patients. Iran J Nurs 2018; 31 (114): 17-27
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Mohamed AF, Abou-Abdou SA. Breaking bad news and associated emotional burden among intensive care unit nurses at Suez Canal University Hospitals. IOSR J Nurs Health Sci 2018; 7 (01) 24-30
    Google Scholar
  • 23 Konstantis A, Exiara T. Breaking bad news in cancer patients. Indian J Palliat Care 2015; 21 (01) 35-38
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Fujimori M, Shirai Y, Asai M, Kubota K, Katsumata N, Uchitomi Y. Effect of communication skills training program for oncologists based on patient preferences for communication when receiving bad news: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol 2014; 32 (20) 2166-2172
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar