Role-Play Using SBAR Technique to Improve Observed Communication Skills in Senior Nursing Students

Patients in the care of clinically expert professionals suffer medical errors with alarming frequency. The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals strives to improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers by recommending the implementation of a standardized tool known as SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation). This experimental study evaluated data from undergraduate nursing students (N = 115) on their performance using a standardized communication tool SBAR. The mean performance scores of the didactic plus role-play students were significantly higher than those who had didactic instruction alone (t = -2.6, p = 0.005). Findings suggest role-play may have a place in teaching communication skills in nursing schools as well as continuing education and training in hospitals and other health care settings. Interdisciplinary communication training may provide even more effective learning. The link between effective communication and improved patient outcomes also should be studied.