The effect of communication skills training on the quality of nursing care of patients

To achieve quality care is an important issue that is often paied attention to in providing nursing care. It seems that communication skills can affect the quality of care. This study investigated the effect of communication skills training on the quality of nursing care in patients. The study was a pretest/posttest experimental design with control group. 60 nurses working in Qhaem and Emamreza hospitals were selected using stratified sampling and then randomly allocated to two groups, Also three patients per each nurse were selected using convenience sampling before and also one, two and three weeks after the intervention. The intervention included communication skills training workshop which was held for eight hours over two days in 2012. Data collection tools included demographic data sheet, Quality Patient Care Scale (QUALPAC) and communication skills Check list. The data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 using t student test, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon and ANOVA tests. The mean score for overall quality of care in communication skills training group was significantly higher at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks after the intervention compared with control group (p<0/001). This increase was not similar in different dimensions of quality of care. It was 50.8% in the individual psychosocial, 63.8% in the group psychosocial, 54.4% in the relationship, 50/6% the physical, 41% in the general and 98% in the professional dimension. In both intervention and control group, the mean score for overall quality of care significantly decreased at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks after the intervention compared with preintervention period (p<0/001). As communication skills training is an effective method to improve the quality of care, it is suggested that managers and staff to consider it to improve the quality of patient's care.