A Blended Learning to Enhance Communication Skill Competence and Self-Efficacy of Nursing Students in Clinical Handovers

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study aimed to examine the efficacy of a blended learning programme in enhancing the communication skill competence and self-efficacy of final-year nursing students in conducting clinical handovers.

Detailed Description
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A clinical handover refers to the process of transferring the relevant information and facilitating continuity of patient care from one healthcare provider to another. It is an essential nursing practice that ensures patient safety. The information transmitted during the handover must be clear, concise and systematic to facilitate the provision of continuous patient care. Ambiguous communication and unsystematically transmitted information can often impede the clarity of ideas, result in the omission of important patient information and delay medical treatment, consequently endangering the safety of patients. Nursing students and newly graduated nurses often struggle with clinical handovers due to a lack of communication skill competence and self-efficacy in performing this practice. Blended learning programmes (BLPs) are commonly used as constructivist pedagogical approaches in nursing education. BLPs have been used successfully to teach theoretical courses and psychomotor skills in nursing education and have been proven to benefit the knowledge, self-efficacy, motivation, attitudes and perceived competence of students. However, no studies that examine the efficiency of BLPs in enhancing the communication skill competence and self-efficacy of nursing students in conducting clinical handovers have been found. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the efficacy of BLP in improving the communication skill competence and self-efficacy of nursing students in conducting clinical handovers.

Official Title
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Efficacy of a Blended Learning Programme in Enhancing the Communication Skill Competence and Self-Efficacy of Nursing Students in Conducting Clinical Handovers: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Self Efficacy, Nursing, Communication

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: A Blended Learning Programme
* Other: Waitlist control group


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: were Hong Kong residents who could speak Cantonese and read Chinese and English were aged at least 18 years had not previously enrolled in a clinical handover training programme. Exclusion Criteria: - NA

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experimental group<br>The participants in the experimental group received a blended learning programme with face-to-face training and an online module on handover practice. | Other: A Blended Learning Programme<br>* A blended learning programme with face-to-face training and an online module on handover practice<br>|
| Active Comparator: waitlist control group<br>The participants in the waitlist control group received the same face-to-face training workshop as the experimental group. However, these participants were invited to access the online module only after data collection was completed. | Other: Waitlist control group<br>* The participants in the waitlist control group received the same face-to-face training workshop as the experimental group. However, these participants were invited to access the online module only after data collection was completed<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change from baseline communication skill competence at 2 weeks after they received the intervention | The participants' communication skill competence in conducting clinical handovers was assessed using the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) Communication and Communication Clarity tool. The assessment had 23 items that were rated on a Likert scale. Higher scores correspond to better performance. | From baseline to 2 weeks after they received the intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change from baseline self-perceived communication self-efficacy level in conducting clinical handovers at 2 weeks after they received the intervention | The participants' self-perceived communication self-efficacy level in conducting clinical handovers was assessed using a visual analogue scale. The visual analogue scale values were found to reliably reflect the participants' true attitudes with low distortion and bias. The participants were requested to drag a sliding bar from 0 to 100 on the online survey platform to indicate the level of confidence in their ability to conduct clinical handovers (0 = Not at all confident, 100 = Extremely confident). | From baseline to 2 weeks after they received the intervention | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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self-efficacy, Blended learning, online module, clinical handover, communication skill competence, nursing students