scholarly journals A Virtual Counseling Application Using Artificial Intelligence for Communication Skills Training in Nursing Education: Development Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefaly Shorey ◽  
Emily Ang ◽  
John Yap ◽  
Esperanza Debby Ng ◽  
Siew Tiang Lau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Communication Skills Training ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Virtual Counseling

BACKGROUND The ability of nursing undergraduates to communicate effectively with health care providers, patients, and their family members is crucial to their nursing professions as these can affect patient outcomes. However, the traditional use of didactic lectures for communication skills training is ineffective, and the use of standardized patients is not time- or cost-effective. Given the abilities of virtual patients (VPs) to simulate interactive and authentic clinical scenarios in secured environments with unlimited training attempts, a virtual counseling application is an ideal platform for nursing students to hone their communication skills before their clinical postings. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop and test the use of VPs to better prepare nursing undergraduates for communicating with real-life patients, their family members, and other health care professionals during their clinical postings. METHODS The stages of the creation of VPs included preparation, design, and development, followed by a testing phase before the official implementation. An initial voice chatbot was trained using a natural language processing engine, Google Cloud’s Dialogflow, and was later visualized into a three-dimensional (3D) avatar form using Unity 3D. RESULTS The VPs included four case scenarios that were congruent with the nursing undergraduates’ semesters’ learning objectives: (1) assessing the pain experienced by a pregnant woman, (2) taking the history of a depressed patient, (3) escalating a bleeding episode of a postoperative patient to a physician, and (4) showing empathy to a stressed-out fellow final-year nursing student. Challenges arose in terms of content development, technological limitations, and expectations management, which can be resolved by contingency planning, open communication, constant program updates, refinement, and training. CONCLUSIONS The creation of VPs to assist in nursing students’ communication skills training may provide authentic learning environments that enhance students’ perceived self-efficacy and confidence in effective communication skills. However, given the infancy stage of this project, further refinement and constant enhancements are needed to train the VPs to simulate real-life conversations before the official implementation.

scholarly journals A Virtual Counseling Application Using Artificial Intelligence for Communication Skills Training in Nursing Education: Development Study

10.2196/14658 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. e14658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefaly Shorey ◽  
Emily Ang ◽  
John Yap ◽  
Esperanza Debby Ng ◽  
Siew Tiang Lau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Communication Skills Training ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Virtual Counseling

Background The ability of nursing undergraduates to communicate effectively with health care providers, patients, and their family members is crucial to their nursing professions as these can affect patient outcomes. However, the traditional use of didactic lectures for communication skills training is ineffective, and the use of standardized patients is not time- or cost-effective. Given the abilities of virtual patients (VPs) to simulate interactive and authentic clinical scenarios in secured environments with unlimited training attempts, a virtual counseling application is an ideal platform for nursing students to hone their communication skills before their clinical postings. Objective The aim of this study was to develop and test the use of VPs to better prepare nursing undergraduates for communicating with real-life patients, their family members, and other health care professionals during their clinical postings. Methods The stages of the creation of VPs included preparation, design, and development, followed by a testing phase before the official implementation. An initial voice chatbot was trained using a natural language processing engine, Google Cloud’s Dialogflow, and was later visualized into a three-dimensional (3D) avatar form using Unity 3D. Results The VPs included four case scenarios that were congruent with the nursing undergraduates’ semesters’ learning objectives: (1) assessing the pain experienced by a pregnant woman, (2) taking the history of a depressed patient, (3) escalating a bleeding episode of a postoperative patient to a physician, and (4) showing empathy to a stressed-out fellow final-year nursing student. Challenges arose in terms of content development, technological limitations, and expectations management, which can be resolved by contingency planning, open communication, constant program updates, refinement, and training. Conclusions The creation of VPs to assist in nursing students’ communication skills training may provide authentic learning environments that enhance students’ perceived self-efficacy and confidence in effective communication skills. However, given the infancy stage of this project, further refinement and constant enhancements are needed to train the VPs to simulate real-life conversations before the official implementation.

scholarly journals Exploring communication skills training in undergraduate nurse education by means of a curriculum

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Britt-Maj Wikström ◽  
Gunilla Svidén
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Effective Communication ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Nurse Education ◽  
Communication Skills Training ◽  
Patient Interaction ◽  
Nursing Communication ◽  
Teachers And Students

This study is an attempt to investigate by means of a curriculum how nurses are trained theoretically and practically throughout their specialist education to communicate competently and professionally in interaction with colleagues and patients. Research today shows that there are many different approaches to develop professionally skilled communication in nurse-patient interaction. It indicates that this aspect of nurse education is regarded as an important feature by educators. It is therefore of interest to study, by means of analysing a curriculum, how nurses’ communicative competence is developed. To this purpose a curriculum was presented related to nursing communication skills training, selected from a University College of Health Care Sciences in Sweden. Both students and teachers need clearly defined curricula to structure their studies and to evaluate communication skills. The investigated curriculum could be further developed to direct students and teachers in effective communication skills. It is of importance to have a curriculum that could be interpreted in the same way by teachers and students.

Oncologists’ experience with discussing cancer prognosis with patients and families: perspectives from India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sravannthi Maya ◽  
Smita C Banerjee ◽  
Shweta Chawak ◽  
Patricia A Parker ◽  
Sreekanth Kandikattu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Cancer Prognosis ◽  
System Level ◽  
Communication Skills Training ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Empathic Communication

Abstract Nondisclosure of prognosis of advanced cancer is commonly practiced in some Asian cultures including India; but research is limited. To describe experiences of Indian oncologists in discussing cancer prognosis with people with cancer and their caregivers, with a focus on barriers and facilitators of prognostic discussions. Thirty oncologists practicing in South India, Hyderabad participated in semi-structured interviews; and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Barriers included system-level, patient-level, and physician-level challenges as obstructions to open and honest interactions around cancer prognosis. Most of the barriers focused on communication-related challenges. Lack of communication skills training for providers coupled with over-reliance on use of euphemisms, hesitation in communicating with “weak” patient, and struggles to establish healthcare proxy described communication-related barriers. The study also described factors including family involvement in cancer care and empathic communication as facilitators of honest and open communication about prognosis. In particular, rapport building and getting to know the patient, use of empathic communication, engaging in gradual and individualized disclosure, and balancing hope with honesty were communication-related facilitators that aid open communication with patients with cancer and their caregivers about prognosis and plan of care. Results provide implications for development of communication skills trainings for oncology physicians in India. Adapting, delivering, and evaluating existing communication skills training programs, particularly around discussions of prognosis and goals of care is a requisite step for providing patient-centered and supportive care to patients with cancer and their caregiving families.

Communication Skills Training Increases Self-Efficacy of Health Care Professionals

2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgitte Nørgaard ◽  
Jette Ammentorp ◽  
Kirsten Ohm Kyvik ◽  
Poul-Erik Kofoed
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Communication Skills Training

scholarly journals Consult, Negotiate, and Involve: Evaluation of an Advanced Communication Skills Program for Health Care Professionals

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 296-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Coad ◽  
Joanna Smith ◽  
David Pontin ◽  
Faith Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Cancer Education ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Communication Skills Training ◽  
The Impact

Effective communication is central to children, young people, and their families’ experiences of health care. Most patient complaints in developed health care systems result from ineffective communication, including inadequate information provision, not feeling listened to, failure to value patients concerns, and patients not feeling involved in care decisions. Advanced communication skills training is now embedded within cancer care policy in the United Kingdom and now features prominently within cancer education in many countries. Here, we share findings from a research evaluation of an advanced communication skills training program dedicated to health professionals caring for children and young people with cancer. We evaluated participants’ (n = 59) perceptions of the program, impact on their skills, knowledge, competence, and confidence. An appreciative inquiry design was adopted; data included interviews, precourse-postcourse evaluations, e-mail blog survey, and 360-degree reflective work records. The framework approach underpinned data analysis and triangulation of data sets. Key findings highlighted good and poor practice in health professionals’ engagement with children, young people, and their families; the purpose of communicating effectively was not always consistent with collaborative working. Attending a program helped participants expand their knowledge of communication theories and strategies. Participants valued using simulated scenarios to develop their skills and were keen to use their new skills to enhance care delivery. Our emphasis within this evaluation, however, remained on what was communicated, when and how, rather than to what effect. The impact of programs such as these must now be evaluated in terms of patient benefit.

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