Evaluation of a Communication Skills Training for Nurses

Evaluation of a Patient-centered Communication Skills Training for Nursing Professionals in Germany: A Randomized Controlled Trail

The KOMPAT study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a needs-based communication skills training for nursing professionals in Germany and to derive recommendations for future long-term implementation. Therefore, a training program to foster communication skills of nursing professionals has been developed based on a previously conducted needs assessment and literature research. To evaluate the training a randomized controlled trail with a waitlist-control group will be conducted. It is aimed to include 180 nurses within the study, of which 90 nurse will be randomized in a stratified manner to the intervention group and 90 nurses will be randomized to the waitlist-control group. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post -training and 4-weeks follow-up. It is hypothesized that self-efficacy in communication with patients and further outcomes will be significantly higher among participants in the intervention group compared to participants of the waitlist-control group during post-training assessment and follow-up. The evaluation will be accompanied by a process evaluation. The training will be facilitated by a member of the research team and a nursing professional by applying the train-the-trainer approach. The KOMPAT study will be conducted at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Nurses working at the participating departments of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
• Main part of daily work includes communication with patients
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Completed educational program as a nurse
• German-speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Little or no contact with patients in daily work, e.g. an operating room nurse or within the bed management