Introduction: Effective communication skill is an essential characteristic of healthcare providers and empathy is one of the components of communication. Due to the technology-centered characteristics of operating rooms, not much attention has been paid to teach these subjects to the students of this field. So, this study aimed to explore the effect of a role-playing based training program about empathy with patient on communication skills scores of operating room students.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out in the academic year 2017-2018 on 36 operating room students from the first to the fourth years enrolled in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The sampling method was of stratified random type. The intervention consisted of a 12-hour training program (within 3 sessions) about empathetic communication with patient using a role-playing method and Queendom communication skills questionnaire was completed before and after the intervention by the samples. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical tests in SPSS 22.0 software.
Results: Before training, the total mean communication skills score of students was moderate (117.69 ± 8.76). After training, the total mean communication skills score and its dimensions was significantly higher than before training (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Empathetic communication training through a role-playing method, increased communication skills scores of operating room students. Role-playing was an attractive teaching method for students. It seems that making changes in the educational curriculum of operating room students is essential to make them familiar with the concept of communication skills.