Background: Various instructional methods and environments are used in nursing education to develop studentsʼ psychomotor and communication skills, reduce their anxiety levels, and enhance their satisfaction.

Objectives: To examine the effect of three different instructional environments on the development of the studentsʼ psychomotor and communication skills and their levels of anxiety and satisfaction.

Design: A prospective study design was used.

Methods: The sample of the study consisted of 60 nursing students. Before the implementation of the study, the studentsʼ cognitive skills and trait anxiety levels were evaluated. The students were divided into five groups and five nursing activities (Leopoldʼs maneuvers, teaching breastfeeding, family planning education, teaching vulvar self-examination and teaching breast self-examination) were specified for each group. They implemented these nursing activities under the supervision of a faculty member in the nursing skills laboratory, standardized patient laboratory and clinical practice environment respectively. In each instructional environment, the studentsʼ psychomotor and communication skills, state anxiety levels and satisfactions were evaluated.

Results: The median scores for psychomotor skills [Nursing Skills Laboratory=73.1; Standardized Patient Laboratory=81.5; Clinical Practice Environment=88.6] and communication skills [Nursing Skills Laboratory=64.9; Standardized Patient Laboratory=71.6; Clinical Practice Environment=79.0] were found to increase as the students went on practicing in a more complicated environment (p<0.05). Similarly, it was determined that the studentsʼ anxiety levels decreased as they were practicing incrementally [Nursing Skills Laboratory=33.0; Standardized Patient Laboratory=32.0; Clinical Practice Environment=31.0]. As the instructional environments were getting more similar to the reality, the studentsʼ satisfaction levels were found to become higher.

Conclusions: Students who deliberately practice in the instructional environments until they are competent develop their psychomotor skills while reducing their anxiety levels, and enhancing their communication skills and satisfaction. For that reason, the development of studentsʼ competency areas is thought to be effective for the enhancement of patients and healthcare workers safety.

Keywords: Nursing education, clinical practice, nursing skills laboratory, standardized patient, psychomotor skill, communication, anxiety, satisfaction

Biography:
She graduated in first place from Hacettepe University in 1989. She won the İhsanDogramacı Superior Merit Award and Science Incentive Award. She earned her pilotʼs license from Republic of Turkey Ministry of Transport. She studied about counseling on assisted reproductive techniques at Liverpool Womens Hospital Reproductive Medicine Unit in United Kingdom on the British Council Research Scholarship. She earned a certificate in management and leadership in nursing. She is an active member of Thematic Network leadership work group. She studied as a research scholar at Kent State University College of Nursing in 2006 for 3 months. In 2007, she worked on a project named “Development of Leadership Skills in Nursing Doctoral Students” at University of Michigan Faculty of Nursing on an international research scholarship which was supported by International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing (INDEN) and Sigma Theta Tau and provided to only three people around the world every year. She worked as a research assistant at Hacettepe University School of Nursing in the Maternity and Womenʼs Health Nursing Division from 1990 to 1997. She was promoted to assistant professor in 1998, associate professor in 2006 and professor in 2012. She worked as a Co-Head of Nursing Department, Erasmus Department Coordinator, Head of Strategic Planning Group and board member of Hacettepe University Womenʼs Research and Implementation Center (HUWRICH) between 2009 and 2011. Her interest subjects are sexuality and reproductive health and management and leadership. She is member of national and international nurseʼs organizations such as INDEN and Sigma Theta Tau. She has been working as a Director of Nursing Services at Hacettepe University Hospitals since September 2012 and Founding Dean of Faculty of Nursing between 2012- 2013. She has published more than 50 papers, 15 grant projects, eight books as an editor and author, and 90 presentation in the national and international congress. She is also invited speaker more than 60 congress and symposium. She is working as a dean in a Faculty of Health Science in İstinye University, İstanbul since 2016.