title: The practical nurse: a case for COMFORT communication training.
abstract: Licensed practical nurses provide the majority of bedside care in long-term care facilities and home care settings, and their communication with patients and families is pivotal to interventions aimed at reducing burdensome transitions to acute care settings. Although good communication skills are required for practical nurses, they receive limited instruction in their training. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of communication training for the practical nurse. A pre-post survey design was used to assess the COMFORT communication training curriculum provided to licensed practical nursing students. A comparison of mean scores on communication skills attitudes and perceived nursing competency revealed statistically significant improvement in attitudes and self-efficacy. This study shows promise for the feasibility and utilization of the COMFORT curriculum for nurse communication training. Further research should address the nurse's ability to perform COMFORT communication skills in the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Markey Cancer Center, Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wittenberg-Lyles
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hallett
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003479:Curriculum; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D020377:Self Efficacy