Enhancing Communication Skills and Self-compassion in Nursing Students: A Quasi-experimental Comparative Study of Online and Face-to-face Courses

Background: Communication and self-compassion skills are essential in nursing. While the effectiveness of face-to-face instruction is well documented, evidence on the impact of online formats remains limited.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the impact of the online and face-to-face Therapeutic Communication and Nurse-Patient Relationship course on nursing students’ communication skills and levels of self-compassion.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 331 first-year nursing students at a public university. The course was delivered online to one group (n=169), while the other group (n=162) attended the course face-to-face. Pre-test and post-test data were collected using the Communication Skills Scale, the Course Evaluation Questionnaire, and the Self-Compassion Scale. The chi-square test, independent samples t-test, paired samples t-tests, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results: The mean age of participants was 19.08 years (standard deviation=1.05), and 87.3% were female. The groups did not differ significantly at baseline (p>0.05). After the 14-week course, both groups exhibited significant improvements in communication skills and levels of self-compassion (p<0.05). However, in the online group, no difference was found between pre-test and post-test scores in some sub-dimensions of the scales. The post-test scores of the two groups did not differ significantly (p>0.05).

Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of online learning while also identifying areas in which significant improvements in communication skills and self-compassion may not be achieved. The findings can inform the design of effective and sustainable communication courses in nursing education.

Keywords: Communication skills, nursing education, nursing students, self-compassion, therapeutic communication