Using standardized patients and standardized physicians to improve patient-care quality: results of a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
We conducted evaluation research with a sample of registered professional staff nurses in a large, inner-city, tertiary medical center for a pilot study of videotaped case scenarios using standardized patients and standardized physicians to enhance nurses' communication and collaboration skills.


METHODS
Change scores from pre-test to post-test on a self-reported rating scale to assess nurse-physician-patient interactions and communications for 28 nurses were compared with a control group of 38 nurses who did not participate in the videotaped sessions.


RESULTS
Repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) detected no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups. However, positive changes were noted in some aspects of nurse-physician and nurse-patient interactions in the intervention group. Immediate feedback from the videotaped scenarios heightened nurses' awareness of the impact of their body language.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses must continuously practice and enhance their collaborative and communication skills. This pilot study suggests that it is beneficial to use videotaping with standardized patients and standardized physicians to enhance such nurses' skills.
Foley
M E
ME
Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Nespoli
G
G
Conde
E
E
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014743:Videotape Recording