Evaluation of therapeutic communication education for nursing students based on constructivist learning environments: A systematic review

Objectives: Education on therapeutic communication has been emphasized in nursing education. However, few studies have used an educational framework to develop educational interventions, such as the instructional design model for Jonassen's Constructivist Learning Environments. Based on the model of Constructivist Learning Environments, this study aimed to analyze educational interventions on therapeutic communication for nursing students and propose a model for therapeutic communication education for nurse educators. Design: A systematic review. Data sources: The terms "nursing," "students," "therapeutic," and "communication" were used to search for studies in English conducted between 2000 and 2022 in four databases (PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Plus with Full Text, and Cochrane Library CENTRAL). Review methods: Two researchers independently screened the titles and abstracts of the original studies, followed by the full texts. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0 for randomized controlled trials and Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-Randomized Studies for quasi-experimental studies were used to evaluate the eligible studies. This review adopted the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results: Twelve studies were included in this review. Among the six instructional components of the model for Constructivist Learning Environments, the most commonly used were question/case/problem, cognitive tool, and conversational/collaboration tool. Among the three instructional methods of the model, coaching was the most frequently used. Therefore, an instructional design model for effective therapeutic communication education for nursing students was proposed based on Constructivist Learning Environments. Conclusions: Employing an instructional design, such as Constructivist Learning Environments, can effectively promote the therapeutic communication education of nursing students.