Evaluation by dental students of a communication skills course using professional role-players in a UK school of dentistry

This paper reports student (n = 180) feedback on the role-play teaching methodology used in behavioural sciences teaching at The School of Dentistry in Birmingham (UK). The feedback received on this well-established (since 1995) educational programme was collected via questionnaire (100% response rate), requiring Likert scale and free text responses. Generally students reported that they had enjoyed and valued the session. Over two-thirds (69.7%) of students rated the role-players as 'very real' and over three-quarters (78.9%) rated their feedback as 'very fair'. The data collected from this study will inform future curriculum development. Student feedback was very positive and demonstrated that the cohort (86% of all students studying in years 1, 2 and 3) found the use of professional role-players involved in behavioural sciences teaching to be both acceptable and valuable.     

Training Clinical Psychology Students in Aging

Many conference reports have urged various strategies to increase the numbers of mental health service providers to the aged. The effectiveness of two strategies-specialized training and the infusion of gerontological content into regular professional curricula-were addressed in a program evaluation. Two groups of clinical psychology doctoral trainees were assessed on knowledge, attitudes, and akills. One group was in a special clinical-aging track; the other had different primary interests but-by virtue of being in the same graduate program-encountered gerontological content. The results support the suggestion that exposure to aging indirectly can contribute to increased knowledge and sophistication.     

角色扮演法在护理服务中的应用与效果

目的深入了解患者住院期间的各种需求,提高护理服务质量和患者满意度。方法由护龄≤5年的临床护理人员扮演住院患者,亲身体验、记录患者生理、心理、环境等方面的需求,并进行讨论、总结,进而完善护理服务流程。结果护理服务质量和患者满意度均比活动前提高。结论角色扮演法能改善护患关系,提高护理质量和患者满意度。     

Training programme in techniques of self-control and communication skills to improve nurses' relationships with relatives of seriously ill patients: a randomized controlled study

The interpersonal relationships with relatives of seriously ill patients may cause anxiety on the part of nurses and the need for adequate communication and self-control skills. To assess the efficacy of training nurses in self-control techniques and communication skills when they interact with relatives of seriously ill patients we planned a randomized, controlled trial in two parallel groups: an experimental group, with immediate training, and a control group, with training delayed for 6 months. We recruited 61 nurses from the nursing staff of a university hospital of 500 beds. The intervention consisted of training in relaxation, cognitive restructuring and some communication skills. The outcome variables were communication skills measured under simulated conditions using an observation instrument of our own, administered by observers masked with respect to the study groups, and the levels of state-anxiety measured with the self-assessment questionnaire the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, under imaginary conditions. The two groups initially had similar scores in the scales of communication skills, and state and trait-anxiety. After intervention, compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significant improvements in the skills of listening, emphasizing, interrupting and coping with emotions (P < 0.05). State-anxiety levels did not show any changes. In conclusion, the joint training in self-control and communication improves some communication skills in nurses when they interact with relatives of seriously ill patients under simulated conditions.     

多角色扮演在《护理学基础》教学中的应用

目的　探讨如何提高《护理学基础》教学效果及培养护生多方面的能力。方法　教学中某些章节采用多角色扮演。结果　学生的学习成绩及自学能力、语言表达能力、动手能力及心理素质等方面都有较大的提高。结论　运用多角色扮演法进行教学可以取得良好的教学效果。     

Skills development using role-play in a first-year pharmacy practice course

Objectives. To evaluate the usefulness of a role-play model in developing students’ patient-care skills in a first-year undergraduate pharmacy practice course.Design. A role-play model was developed and implemented in workshops across 2 semesters of a year-long course. Students performed different roles, including that of a pharmacist and a patient, and documented case notes in a single interaction.Assessment. Student perceptions of the usefulness of the approach in acquiring skills were measured by surveying students during both semesters. All student assessments (N=130 in semester1; N=129 in semester 2) also were analyzed for skills in verbal communication, information gathering, counselling and making recommendations, and accurately documenting information. A majority of students found the approach useful in developing skills. An analysis of student assessments revealed that role-playing was not as effective in building skills related to accurate documentation as it was in other areas of patient care.Conclusions. Role play is useful for developing patient-care skills in communication and information gathering but not for documentation of case notes.     

The essence of cancer care: the impact of training on nurses' ability to communicate effectively

BACKGROUND: The importance of effective communication between health professionals and patients with cancer is widely recognized. Training programmes aimed at improving key communication skills are becoming increasingly available. PURPOSE: To evaluate a communication skills programme delivered to 308 cancer nurses as part of degree/diploma courses. Based on previous work, it was hypothesized that a statistically significant improvement between pre- and postintervention scores would be observed. METHODS: Audiotaped nursing assessments with patients were undertaken before and after the course. These were evaluated according to coverage of nine previously identified key areas of communication. RESULTS: Mean postcourse scores rose by 5.9 points (P < 0.001) to 16.3 (out of a possible 27). All nine individual areas of the assessment showed statistically significant improvements postintervention (P < 0.001). The areas showing most improvement were those with a high emotional content. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that an integrated approach to communication skills training has the potential to improve nurses' skills, particularly in emotionally laden areas across the spectrum of roles in cancer care.     

角色扮演法在《食品法律法规与标准》教学中的应用

在《食品法律法规与标准》教学中,传统授课方式抑制了学生学习的积极性。文章所介绍的角色扮演法不仅能培养学生的创造性思维,而且能锻炼学生的沟通能力、增强团队合作意识、活跃课堂教学,气氛是一种寓教于乐的授课方式。     

Development of the Role-Play Inventory of Situations and Coping Strategies for Parents of Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Critiqued previous conceptual and methodological approachesto the measurement of stress and coping. Applied Goldfried andD'Zurilla's behavior-analytic model to create a context-specificmeasure of problematic situations and coping strategies forparents of school-age children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Thesample was stratified by child's gender and illness severity.Forty-seven families (46 mothers, 32 fathers) and 8 health careprofessionals completed structured interviews or daily diariesto obtain the widest range of problematic situations; 1,725situations were elicited across all participants and then content-analyzedinto 97 nonredundant categories in 11 domains (e.g. Discipline,Medical Care). Few differences were found in problem frequencyor difficulty as a function of either gender or illness severity.Using empirical criteria, the most frequent and difficult problemsituations were selected and developed into role-play vignettesthat include relevant contextual, developmental, and interactionaldetails. The Role-Play Inventory of Situations and Coping Strategies(RISCS) consists of 31 audiotaped vignettes designed to elicitand evaluate the coping strategies used by parents of childrenwith CF.     

Instructional Simulation Integrates Research,Education, and Practice

Instructional simulation is widely used in clinical education. Examples include the use of inanimate models meant to imitate humans, standardized patients who are actors portraying patients with certain conditions, and role-play where learners experience the disease through props and circumstances. These modalities are briefly described, and then case examples are provided of simulation curricula in use that integrate research findings and clinical practice expertise to guide development and implementation steps. The cases illustrate how formative and summative feedback from two legs of the “three-legged stool” can be potent integrating forces in development of simulation curricula. In these examples, the educational outputs benefit from purposeful inclusion of research and practice inputs. Costs are outlined for instructor and learner time commitments, space considerations, and expendables. The authors’ data and experience suggest that instructional simulation that is supported by a solid scientific base and clinical expertise is appreciated by teachers and learners.