Importance Of Communication Skills Research Articles

Development of communication competency for civil engineering students

This study is specifically aimed at: (i) assessing the communication competencies of engineering students; (ii) identifying important communication skills needed for engineering students; and (iii) ensuring the types of effective teaching and learning activities to develop communication skills of engineering students. The implementation of the study refers to this quantitative-descriptive approach presenting a survey which includes the main activities, namely literature study, primary data collection and analyse, conclusions and recommendations formulation. Analysis is carried out based on information obtained from respondents. Furthermore, data processing is done by using descriptive methods that provide simple and understandable data presentation for the reader by describing or giving information about a data or situation or phenomenon. The survey findings indicate the adequacy of communication training from a curriculum that integrates communication in various core civil engineering courses. The results of the study also showed that team work and oral presentations were the most important factors for civil engineering students and for their future career development. They also place the greatest emphasis on teaching and learning activities that aim to prepare them to take part in the industrial world later.

Comparison of Communication Skills in Dental Education between Korean and United States Dental Colleges

As the social interest in medical care has increased and the awareness and autonomy of patients have increased, the importance of communication skills with patients has been increasingly emphasized in providing high quality medical services. In medical education, such education has become an important area in medical school and lifelong medical education, with studies showing that communication skills can be improved through education and training, and that this learned communication skills can be maintained after becoming a doctor. The importance of communication education and research for dental college students is growing as practical examination on communication skills will also be introduced in dental license tests from 2021. Therefore, we aimed to find out the educational goals and educational methods of United States in which these studies are conducted and applied before our country, and compare them with Korean's current educational goals and methods, so that we can explore the desirable direction of education for dental college students in the future.

Health Communication needs of health professionals in Europe – the H-COM cross sectional study

Abstract Background Effective communication between Health Professionals (HP) and patients is crucial for the overall functioning of the healthcare system with positive impacts on readmission rates, treatment outcomes, adherence and costs. However, health communication training is limited especially during medical training. In the framework of the EU H-COM project an exploration of health communication needs and gaps and preferred training methods was performed among HP. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 702 health professionals (Physicians: n = 315; Nurses: n = 258; Other: n = 129) through a purpose made questionnaire available in English, Greek, Polish, Spanish and German. Results Health communication training is considered necessary for physicians (89.8%) and nurses (89.7%), although 42.4% of them never received relevant training in the past. Professional status (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.079), gender (p = 0.090) and years of experience (p = 0.012) affected the likelihood of not having received such training, with physicians, HPs aged 45-54 years old, males and those having 6-10 years of experience being most in need. At least 50.0% reported encountering problems in communicating with their patients and facing several barriers either in primary health care settings and hospitals or in private practice. The ability to listen and answer patients, deliver bad news and obtain medical history were the most important communication skills identified, while the most suitable training method was learning relevant practical skills. The availability of such trainings is reported as being fair or poor at all educational levels by the majority. Conclusions Health communication training is considered important although currently not available to the extent needed. This research provides evidence concerning the preferred type, frequency and mode of health communication training providing also insight on differences between various HPs. Key messages Health communication training is crucial but inadequate in Europe. There are specific training needs and preferences among HP which need to be considered. Health communication training needs to be adapted and tailored to professionals’ age, experience and status.

Applying Conflict Management Strategies to the Pediatric Operating Room.

Effective communication is essential in today's health care environment, and poor communication can lead to conflict among health care providers. Differences in cultures and beliefs can further incite conflict among health care team members, families, and patients. Pediatric patient care has a higher potential for conflict because decision-making responsibilities are shared among patients, parents/guardians, and clinicians. It is important to understand the phases and types of conflict because each conflict situation requires a different approach to optimize management. Equally important is an understanding of styles used by individuals to manage conflict. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument and the Dutch Test for Conflict Handling are 2 validated tools used to assess conflict management styles. The different styles include competing/forcing, collaborating/problem solving, compromising, avoiding, and yielding/accommodating. A successful physician should be able to identify the phases and types of conflict to use the conflict management approach most suitable for the given conflict.There are several techniques for managing conflict in the pediatric operating room. Acknowledging and managing one's own emotions during conflict is a pivotal first step toward diffusing the situation. Active listening is an important communication skill that improves team dynamics. Aligning the interests of the parties involved in conflict will encourage collaborative problem solving. Cultural competency training can improve communication and conflict management skills. Effective conflict management through formal education of all perioperative team members can lead to improved communication and teamwork and better patient outcomes.

Move Together, Communicate Together: Supporting Preschoolers’ Communication Skills Through Physical Activities

During the preschool years, children develop several inter-related skills including motor skills and communication skills. In this article, we highlight several communication teaching strategies and describe how practitioners can promote communication skills of preschoolers with disabilities by providing them with multiple opportunities to practice these skills during motor activities. The following strategies are described: arrange the physical environment, model motor vocabulary, ask motor related questions, use a fill in the blank strategy, and reinforce/prompt child communication. The use of these strategies during large and small group motor activities is illustrated with vignettes. We present strategies for creating an engaging environment and providing meaningful opportunities so that children can learn important communication skills while also developing critical motor skills.

DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN 21st CENTURY ELECTRIC ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Problem. Communication skills are an essential component in the education of engineering students to facilitate not just students’ education but also to prepare them for their future careers. Various important communication skills required of modern engineers, such as foreign language skills, are discussed in this article, as well as multiple elements of communication skills training, such as oral, listening, written, visual, interdisciplinary and intercultural. The impact of emotional intelligence is also presented. Goal. The goal of the article is proving the idea that the classes of foreign language can be a combination of learning language and acquiring communication skills. Methodology. Methods of analysis, research and development of new solution were used. Results. In the result of the analysis it was proven that classes of English can develop not only the language skills but add to the overall development of personality, as well as enhance various kinds of communication skills necessary for the graduate of engineering (in particular, electrical engineering) specialties. Originality. Suggestions for communication skills development are made, including the one that communication skills be integrated in the curriculum, so as to reinforce student learning. Practical Value. The practical value of the work can be the ideas for improving communication tasks as well as development of the approach which includes both language learning and integration of engineering communication in the process of learning.Key words: communication; abilities; behavior; society; knowledge; international

The importance of communication skills required to reduce set-up errors in the radiotherapy planning phase

AbstractDuring the planning computed tomography (CT) scan, patients experience the position and any immobilisation technique required for radiotherapy.Patient’s stress and anxiety can cause muscle tension that can introduce systematic set-up errors if not recognised and corrected.We discuss two clinical cases that highlight the importance of time dedicated to communication and revision of the first CT acquisition during a virtual simulation procedure.

Relationship between communication skills and emotional intelligence among nurses.

Nurses' emotional intelligence (EI) affects many of their behavioural skills. Given the importance of communication skills, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between EI and the communication skills of emergency department nurses. 253 nurses working in five hospitals affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences took part in this cross-sectional analytical study. Participants completed Goleman's EI Scale and a researcher-designed communication skills questionnaire. Validity and reliability of the tools were measured throughout the study. Data analysis was carried out using analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and Spearman correlation tests in SPSS v18. The mean EI score was estimated to be 78.31 with the highest and lowest scores related to self-awareness (20.83) and self-management (18.19) dimensions respectively. The mean total score of communication skills was estimated to be 70.91. There was a significant relationship between total EI score and total communication skills score ( r =0.775, P <0.01) and a strong significant relationship between the four dimensions of EI and the total score of communication skills. Since EI and its dimensions have a positive effect on nurses' communication skills hospital managers can enhance EI by organising training sessions and promoting communication skills and provide the ground for continuous improvement of hospital services.

Patient-centred care training needs of health care assistants who provide care for people with dementia.

It is well documented that Health care assistants (HCAs) provide the most hands-on care to residents in aged care facilities, and play a critical role in the provision of care to dementia residents. Over the last 25years, a philosophy of person-centred care has become the preferred approach to care and this has meant that HCAs are encouraged to get to know the resident very well. This paper reports the experiences of HCAs in caring for people at end-of-life, identifies the skills required for their work and examines the education provided against these skills. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 49 facilities (n=34) across New Zealand and data analysed thematically, with the aim of critically examining the adequacy of education for health care assistants which meets their needs within a person-centred environment. The results confirm that the skills include traditional tasks of care (showering, feeding, toileting, and dressing) but the increasingly important communication and de-escalation skills, both verbal and non-verbal, have become central to their care skills. Education provided has not sufficiently shifted focus to include these more complex skills. Provision of educations that acknowledges the increased complexities of their role needs to be provided. As well, facilities need to be challenged to reconsider the HCA's position in the facility care tem.

The Relative Importance of Selected Communication Skills for Positive Peer Relations: American Adolescents’ Opinions

Typically developing, American adolescents in Grade 10 ( n = 38) ranked the relative importance of 14 communication skills in their friends’ communication with them. The skills were considered those associated with figurative language (e.g., appropriate slang use), empathy (e.g., vocal tone comprehension), or discourse management (e.g., appropriate topic selection). Five skills emerged as more important and were primarily considered to be empathy-related communication skills. Four skills, representing a mix of figurative language and discourse management skills, were ranked as lower in importance. The remaining five skills were of intermediate or variable importance and a mix of discourse management and empathy-related communication skills. Results were similar to those of previous investigations with Australian adolescents. Adolescents’ gender did not result in different rankings. Knowing what adolescents opine to be more and less important communication skills for positive peer relationships can help speech-language pathologists decide on intervention objectives to improve adolescents’ peer relationships.

Opinions of teacher candidates upon the use of effective communication skills when teaching sciences

While teaching sciences which takes up a huge place in today's technological world, effective communication among teachers and students is especially required in order to increase the enthusiasm of students about sciences. The study is aimed to support teacher candidates in acquiring effective interaction abilities, which are some of the 21st century foreground skills, and foster them to make use of these abilities in the process of teaching sciences. The research has been conducted in accordance with qualitative research techniques which include observation and semi- structured interviewing techniques. 17 teacher candidates have taken part in the research as volunteers. The result of the observations made show that these teacher candidates have used oral communication in the activities mostly. The subject of hand and facial movements (mimics) and drama technique in teaching have drawn attention of teacher candidates heavily. According to the results of interviews made, it can be deducted that it is an important improvement for them to learn effective listening is also a medium for communication. At the end of the research, the teacher candidates have been observed to have found a chance to get to know themselves in the use of communication skills; therefore, it has been detected these people have been using some of the communication channels without realizing it, whether they are positive or negative, in their relations with friends, family members, school life and so on. The realization of teacher candidates upon the importance of communication skills in education and turning their ideas into skills through their knowledge in the issue reveal the fact that this study has fulfilled its aims.

Integrating Writing and Engineering Instruction to build a foundation for student success in their engineering disciplines

The importance of communication skills cannot be over-emphasized in the context of 21st-century global engineering. Writing is an important skill to learn, but it can be difficult to make the writing assignment meaningful and relevant for engineering students. To meet the challenge of global demand for engineering education and increase in enrollment and to motivate students to learn communication and writing skills, writing instruction is integrated with engineering courses in various UBC engineering programs. Integration helps students to transform their technical knowledge into problem-solving solutions for case studies grounded in their discipline. The ongoing research project’s theoretical framework includes principles from genre theory, situated learning, case-study approach and student-centred learning. Three models of integration have emerged: project-based full integration, course-based partial integration, and topic-based thematic integration. The pedagogical experiment on integration moves from disciplinary-specific and situated writing to “open” and “global” learning of writing where knowledge of the discipline is learned, applied, created, and transformed across disciplines and cultures.

The practice staff in primary care dementia recognition-is there an untapped potential?

It is regularly criticized that the diagnostics of dementia are not used effectively and consistently enough in general practitioner (GP) care. An important component for the optimization of early detection is the targeted training and involvement of the practice staff. To date, there is alack of studies that capture the extent to which primary care personnel are actually integrated into dementia recognition and how they assess their own potential to contribute to amore efficient diagnosis of dementia. The study was based on 45 qualitative individual interviews with GP practice personnel in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, which were conducted orally and personally between November 2017 and June 2018 (duration: 25-70 min). The results show that GP personnel showed agreat willingness to support the family doctor in dementia recognition and diagnostics; however, this potential is only partly used in primary care practices. Most of the sample showed marked uncertainties in assessing possible signs of incipient dementia. This corresponds to the fact that only aminority of the interviewees had ever completed training in which dementia was an important topic. The identification of dementia patients by the practice employees seems to function according to the random principle and less according to systematic criteria. The analysis showed that many GPs are not yet aware of the opportunities offered by agreater involvement of practice personnel in the recognition of dementia. Accordingly, GPs should be advised of the benefits of such asolution. At the same time, more attention should be paid to low-threshold training formats, which are tailored specifically to the perspective of practice employees and convey important dementia-specific diagnostics, action and communication skills.

Medical students’ experience of a Teddy Bear Hospital as part of a paediatric curriculum

Introduction: Teddy Bear Hospital is a strategy used to help reduce children’s fears of the healthcare system and teach them about health-related issues. It involves mock consultations where medical students play the role of a “teddy doctor” and children act as the carer of teddy, or another soft toy, requiring consultation. This provides medical students with the opportunity to interact with children and develop communication skills while children are introduced to the medical consultation process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the medical student experience of Teddy Bear Hospital as part of a paediatric curriculum. Methods: We conducted a qualitative observational study using observations and focus group interviews with third-year postgraduate medical students. Strategies for engaging children and medical student behaviours were observed. In focus groups, students discussed their experience and the benefits of involvement they perceive. Inductive content analysis was performed, guided by a phenomenological approach, to identify themes. Results: Three major themes were identified: student discomfort, adapting communication to child temperament and developmental age and how the Teddy Bear Hospital contextimpacts learning. Students experienced discomfort approaching families and through disclosure of medical information. Despite this, students described it as an enjoyable learning experience that taught them to adapt communication to the child. Students also recognised greater challenges in a hospital-based event than one in the community. Conclusions: Participation in Teddy Bear Hospital appears to be a valuable component of the paediatric curriculum for medical students. Through enjoyable experiential learning, students described developing important communication skills with children. While they did experience discomfort in the process, this has potential to deepen learning.

Evaluating Dog- and Cat-Owner Preferences for Calgary-Cambridge Communication Skills: Results of a Questionnaire.

Veterinary client retention by companion animal practices is influenced by whether the client feels connected to the healthcare provider. Effective communication between the veterinarian and the client facilitates that connection. To prepare new graduates for success in clinical practice, many colleges of veterinary medicine are now incorporating communication into the curriculum to emphasize its importance in establishing and maintaining the veterinarian-client relationship. A 2016 focus group study by Englar et al. evaluated dog and cat owner communication preferences for Calgary-Cambridge Guide (CCG) communication skills and concluded that dog and cat owners may have different communication needs. This study was conducted to confirm whether species-based communication preferences exist among veterinary clients. A questionnaire was distributed online and on-site, within veterinary teaching hospitals and private practices. Based upon 215 submissions from dog owners and 166 from cat owners, the communication preferences of dog and cat owners overlap. Both dog and cat owners prioritize reflective listening as the most important foundational CCG communication skill, and both prioritize asking permission as the most important core CCG skill. However, dog owners valued open-ended questions more than cat owners, and cat owners valued empathy more than dog owners. Survey limitations were largely demographic: participants were predominantly female and between the ages of 18-40 years. Survey data may therefore not be representative of the perspective of males and/or those >40 years of age.

SELF-ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS BY MANAGEMENT STUDENTS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN INDIAN CONTEXT

Communication skills are most sought after by the business world and are considered to be vital for personal and professional growth. There have been many researches on the importance of communication skills and how they act as catalysts in getting a job or a dream job. Furthermore, employers, institutes and universities also emphasise that an individual apt at communication skills is more likely to get a job in comparison to one who is not. This study is meant to decipher the communication skills of management trainees at the time of joining the institute through a self-appraisal questionnaire. The research design employed was Descriptive Cross-Sectional. 125 students were chosen from five management institutes in Lucknow(India) by employing non-random Convenience Sampling. Findings indicated that there is an overall fear of public speaking,respondents fall short of words while writing in Englishand need to be encouraged to read more English magazines and novels.Conclusively, a curriculum may be designed wherein the faculty, along with inputs of the students can build a framework with a view to maximising public speaking activities, and other activities may focus upon reading and writing. Moreover, peer-feedback is recommended to enhance reflective learning.Keywords:management students, active listening skills, oral communication skills, communication building strategies, public speaking

Clinical empathy with cancer patients: a content analysis of oncology nurses' perception.

BackgroundEmpathy is one of the most important communication skills in clinical practice, specifically in the field of oncology. Empathic competences have a significant meaning for caring and therapeutic relations in nurses’ responsibilities. Clinical empathy brings positive performance, thus patients’ emotions are perceived and expressed more easily. Clinical empathy is contextual, interpersonal and affective, but it is also difficult to study. Awareness of oncology nurses’ perception of this phenomenon might help them to plan for more effective patient-centered consultations within interventional programs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the content of clinical empathy with cancer patients from the perspective of oncology nurses.Patients and methodsIn this qualitative study, 15 oncology nurses were selected by purposive sampling. A semi-structured face-to-face interview was conducted with each of the participants. After data collection, all interviews were transcribed and reviewed, and then primary codes, sub-categories and categories were extracted. The data were analyzed with the conventional content analysis method by MAXQDA 10 software.ResultsClinical empathy showed a composite construct with five main categories, including co-presence (physical and emotional presence), metacognition (self-awareness of mental processes), perception (knowing about awareness of individuals), inherent (genetic) and didactic (instructive) nature.ConclusionClinical empathy as an effective strategy can be taught through three areas of “co-presence”, “metacognition” and “perception” in the context of cancer care. Thus, clinical empathy should be considered as one of the competency standards which can be taught to oncology nurses.

DIVERSIFYING THE ENGINEERING VOICES: BRINGING DIVERSE PROFESSIONALS TO THE CLASSROOM THROUGH VIDEO INTERVIEWS

Abstract – This paper will discuss the importance of using videos in the classroom and the significance of adding diversity to teaching and learning, particularly in engineering and technology. Increasing diversity is a common goal seen in many institutions, including the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University. Beginning in Fall 2017, instructors from the Bachelor of Technology program, in the School of Engineering Practice and Technology (SEPT) will integrate recorded video interviews of diverse professionals into the classroom, hopefully putting the goal more within reach. These videos will depict professionals in engineering fields who identify as young, female or visible minorities. In these interviews, the participants will discuss a variety of topics including: the importance of communication skills in a professional environment; the advantages of participating in co-op programs; life after graduation; as well as other topical issues. In addition to the proven benefits of learning through videos, students will hear from various professionals of different backgrounds thereby adding diversity to the engineering classroom.

Attitudes of Nursing Students toward the Importance of Communication Skills in the English Language

Attitudes of Nursing Students toward the Importance of Communication Skills in the English Language

The Impact of the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium International Training Program on the Clinical Practice of Eastern European Nurses Working in Specialized Palliative Care Services

Palliative care nurses in Romania have a long history of collaborating with the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) project, a national education initiative administered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in Washington, DC, and the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. Between January 2013 and October 2014, 1360 Romanian nurses participated in ELNEC palliative care training courses; 306 of these nurses attended both the introductory and advanced ELNEC courses. The aims of this study were to identify the changes implemented by the participant nurses in their clinical practice, after attending ELNEC palliative care introductory and advanced courses, and to compare the participant nurses' palliative care knowledge precourse versus postcourse. The data were collected from 6 focus groups at 3 to 6 months postcourse, in 6 different locations in Romania. Five themes were identified, with related subthemes including new perspectives of care, the importance of communication skills, the role of interprofessional teams in the healthcare system, addressing the needs of the patient and family, and informed decision-making by the patient and family. This study showed that the ELNEC introductory and advanced courses lead to changes in the participant nurses' clinical practice and aided nurses in identifying barriers in the Romanian public healthcare system that need to be addressed to improve palliative care.