Nurses Communication Skills Training and Its Effect on Patients’ Satisfaction in Teaching Hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Background and purpose: Communication skill is a key ability and an integral part of the nursing profession. This study aimed to investigate the effect of communication skills training of nurses on patients’ satisfaction with nursing staff in teaching hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Method: This Cross-sectional study was carried out in 2017. The research population consisted of the patients visiting 13 SUMS-affiliated hospitals, 581 nurses who participated in communication skills training courses, and 2,207 nurses who did not receive this training. From this population, a total of 400 patients were selected through convenience sampling and 50 trained nurses and 50 untrained nurses were chosen randomly. The data collection instruments were the Nurse Quality of Communication with Patient Questionnaire (NQCPQ) and La Monica-Oberst Patient Satisfaction Scale (LOPSS). Data were analyzed in SPSS using T-test, ANOVA, Tukey test, and Pearson correlation coefficient at α = 5%. Results: A significant correlation was found between nursing-patient commination score and patient satisfaction (LOPSS) score (P=0.021, r = 0.647). Patients under the care of trained nurses were also found to be more satisfied with nursing services than those served by untrained nurses (P=0.011, t=2.56). The results showed that patient satisfaction had a significant relationship with age and marital status (p =0.027). Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that the implementation of communication skills training courses for nurses can lead to improved patient satisfaction. Hospital directors were then recommended to hold regular communication skills training courses for their nursing staff.