An Integrative Review of Simulation Programs for Nursing Students: Patient and Caregiver-Centered Communication

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to review simulation program for Korean nursing students. Methods: Whittmore and Knafl's integrative review methods were used. Peer-reviewed articles published in either Korean or English were included in this review. Authors followed the four steps that Whittmore and Knafl specified: Clarify the purpose of the study; search for and select articles; evaluate the selected articles; and analyze and interpret the articles. Results: The search yielded 173 articles, 8 of which met the criteria and were included in the review. All of the selected studies had a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Simulation programs varied from 1 to 10 sessions. Although all of the simulation programs included assessments of communication ability, improving communication ability was not included in the simulation program context. Conclusions: Most of the selected studies adopted disease-focused care simulation programs and measured communication skill changes as one of the effects of the program. Either a simulator or a standardized patient was used in the simulation programs. However, most of the studies did not address communication ability or competence in the content of the program. Therefore, in-depth communication skills to build relationships with patients and caregivers needs to be included in the simulation program content.

Analysis of Nursing Students’ Nonverbal Communication Patterns during Simulation Practice: A Pilot Study

“…In particular, nursing students may have inadequate experience with face-to-face communication because of their reliance on online communication and messaging. Therefore, in order to improve nursing students’ communication skills, nursing education programs utilize various simulation practices, such as roleplay and standardized patients [ 9 , 13 ]. These educational interventions have been reported to lead to improvements in the communication competencies of nursing students [ 13 ].…”

“…Therefore, in order to improve nursing students’ communication skills, nursing education programs utilize various simulation practices, such as roleplay and standardized patients [ 9 , 13 ]. These educational interventions have been reported to lead to improvements in the communication competencies of nursing students [ 13 ]. However, most training and education programs lack the component of nonverbal communication skills [ 14 ].…”

“…When evaluating nursing students’ communication skills, instructors usually assess their level of confidence in communication and their verbal communication abilities through direct observation [ 13 ]. Although some nonverbal communication items are included in the checklist for evaluating communication skills, it is challenging to assess specific aspects such as facial expressions and poses.…”