The Effect of Problem-Based Learning Approach on Nursing Students' Communication Skills

Background & Aim: Problem-based learning, as a relatively new educational approach, has found a high status in higher-educational institutions. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of problem-based learning on nursing students' communication skills. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study, in which a total of 78 fourth-year nursing students were recruited and allocated into two groups of intervention (n=43) and control (n=35). Participants in the intervention group received eight 60-minute sessions of problem-based learning and a post-test was conducted one month after the intervention. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the verbal and non-verbal communication skills questionnaire. Data were first entered into the SPSS statistics, version 16. 0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill., USA) and then analyzed using independent-samples t-test, paired-samples t-test, and chi-squared test. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of baseline and the post-intervention verbal communication skills in the control and intervention groups (p<0.05). The results of independent-samples t-test showed that the difference in the mean scores of verbal communication skills was statistically significant between the two groups (p=0.002). Moreover, the difference between the baseline and the post-intervention mean scores of non-verbal communication skills was found to be statistically significant in the control and intervention groups (p<0.05) The results of independent-samples t-test also indicated that the difference in the mean scores of non-verbal communication skills was statistically significant between the two groups (p=0.004). Conclusion:  Problem-based learning has shown to be effective in improving students' verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Therefore, it is recommended to develop students' communication skills by using effective methods of nursing education, especially problem-based learning. Accordingly, students would be able to act more efficiently in the clinical setting and make better clinical decisions.