Assessment of Therapeutic Communication Skills and Barriers Between Nursing Students and Patients

Introduction: The ability of the nurse to communicate with patients has been long recognized as an essential pillar of nursing care. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic communication skills and barriers among nursing students and patients. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive research design based on a quantitative approach is used in this study. The participants of the study were selected purposively from level 4 to level 8 students in nursing program from Mohammed Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences. An observation checklist named Health Communication Assessment tool was used to assess the communication skills of nursing students. The second tool was a survey questionnaire-the barriers to nursing student-patient communication questionnaire which identified the barriers to therapeutic communication between the nursing students and the patients. Results: A total of one hundred six (N = 106) nursing students were involved in the study. The students’ mean score in the assessment of their communication skills showed average scores in therapeutic communication skills (M = 3.32, SD =0.69). The students’ opinions regarding the common communication barriers between them and their patients, were moderate, with an overall average of (M = 2.58, SD = 0.53). The average and middle scores for both communication skills (M = 6.65 ± 1.37, Md = 6.73) and communication barriers (M =6.37 ± 1.39, Md = 6.37) were almost equal. The Pearson correlation test revealed a statistically significant positive weak correlation (rs = 0.242, p = < 0.012) between the students' scores in therapeutic communication skills and their scores in communication barriers. Conclusion: Recognizing the relationship between therapeutic communication skills and perceived communication barriers can inform targeted educational programs aimed at addressing both skill development and barrier reduction. It’s essential to acknowledge that while a statistically significant correlation was found, the strength of the correlation is weak. Further research, including longitudinal studies or qualitative interventions, may provide deeper insights into the nature of the relationship between therapeutic communication skills and perceived barriers among nursing students.