Effect of integrated English hybrid learning for undergraduate nursing students on students' self-perceived communication competence and communication apprehension: A quasi-experiment study

Aim: To demonstrate the self-perceived communication competence and communication apprehension of nursing students before and after taking English for Nursing courses. Background: Despite the growing demand for English as a foreign language courses for nursing students in Indonesia, relatively little research has been conducted to investigate whether these courses meet students' specific learning needs to increase communication competency. Design: Quasi-experiment. Methods: A total of 173 undergraduate nursing students participated and had access to the mixed- methods learning system of integrated English hybrid learning from August through December 2021. The learning methods involved lectures, tutorials, and project-based learning on multiple platforms, such as LiVE Unpad, WhatsApp, and Zoom. Communication competence and apprehension in the English Language were assessed using the Self-Perceived Communication Competence and Communication Apprehension questionnaires via Google Form, and were analyzed using the paired t-test and ANOVA. Results: The findings suggest that English for Nursing courses significantly increased self- perceived communication competence and communication apprehension among nursing students (p p < 0.001 for both). A variance test revealed favorability for self-perceived communication apprehension in groups that enjoyed learning English and for communication apprehension in groups that read English texts frequently and rarely. Conclusions: Integrated English hybrid learning for undergraduate nursing students effectively increased their self-perceived communication competence and communication apprehension in undergraduate nursing students. However, this approach cannot be applied to all nursing education levels. A combination of the current and new approaches, as suggested by educators and policymakers, should make it applicable to the desired level of nursing education.