Enhancing nursing students' communication skills with deaf patients: Workshop impact on nursing education programs.

BACKGROUND

Nursing students require education on effective communication with patients to fulfill their roles as future healthcare providers. Ensuring inclusive patient care requires addressing this educational gap.

PURPOSE

This study assesses the impact of workshops on nursing students' communication strategies with Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among nursing students before and after participating in workshops conducted by Deaf instructors from the non-profit association Maagalei Shema. Data was collected from January 2023 to March 2024 and analyzed using SPSS software.

FINDINGS

Results indicate that the workshops significantly improved participants' communication strategies, with 82.48% reporting enhanced abilities post-workshop. The use of communication tools, including professional interpreters, increased following the workshops.

DISCUSSION

Workshops offer an effective approach to enhancing healthcare workers' communication with Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating experiential learning opportunities into nursing education to optimize patient interactions and improve healthcare outcomes.