The effect of the communication skill development psychoeducation based on Kolcaba’s comfort theory on the caring nurse–patient interaction

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the Kolcaba theory-based communication skill development psychoeducation program on nursing students’ care-oriented nurse–patient interaction levels.
METHODS: This study is an intervention research with pre-test–post-test pattern (without a control group). The sample of the study consisted of 27 nursing students who took the Mental Health and Diseases Nursing Intern Practice course at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing. After the pre-test, the students were given a total of five sessions of psychoeducation, one session each for 90–120 min each week. In addition, a session evaluation meeting was held after all sessions were completed. In addition, students’ opinions were taken in each session using psychoeducation group rules, characteristics of the psychoeducational group life program, goal-setting cards, individual goal-setting form, and session evaluation form.
RESULTS: About 92.6% of the students participating in the study were female and the mean age was 21.74±0.76. The mean score of the “Care-Oriented Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale” score of the students before the education was calculated as 297.22±34.29 and as 329.14±22.46 after the education, and the difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.005). At the same time, it was determined that the difference between the mean scores of all scale subdimensions before and after the education was significant (p<0.005).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Communication skills based on Kolcaba’s “Comfort Theory” and physical, environmental, sociocultural, and psychospiritual dimensions, which are among the theoretical-based applications, were found to be effective on students’ care-oriented nurse–patient interaction levels.