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Needs-based communication training improved nurses' self-efficacy while broader effects were limited

Patient education and counseling (PubMed)Jul 15, 2026

AI-summarized from the linked source. Educational brief, not medical advice.

Brief summary

In a waitlist-controlled randomized trial of 157 hospital nurses, needs-based patient-centered communication training improved self-efficacy, subjective knowledge, and attitudes immediately after training, while effects on other outcomes were limited.

What NurseJet pulled from the source

The KOMPAT study was conducted at three hospitals in Hamburg, Germany. The intervention produced a large post-training difference in self-efficacy, but the abstract did not show improvement in observed communication behavior, health-related distress, or work-related distress, so the results support skill development rather than proven patient-outcome improvement.

Why this matters for nurses

Nurse educators and leaders often deploy communication training without evidence that confidence transfers into practice. KOMPAT supports a needs-based approach for improving self-efficacy while underscoring the need to assess real conversations, patient experience, and durability after training.

Bedside takeaway

Evaluate communication training with observed skills and patient-centered measures, not self-efficacy alone.

How This Applies in Practice

Use this when: Planning continuing education or orientation focused on patient-centered communication for nursing professionals.

On your shift

Assess participants' communication needs and common clinical scenarios before selecting content, practice exercises, and feedback methods.
Measure self-efficacy and knowledge while also using observed skills, teach-back performance, or patient-experience measures when feasible.
Schedule follow-up assessment and coaching to determine whether skills persist and transfer into routine patient interactions.

Keep in mind: Immediate confidence gains do not establish durable behavior or patient benefit. Follow the education protocol, facility policy, and local competency requirements.

Key takeaways

The randomized waitlist-controlled study enrolled 157 nursing professionals across three hospitals.
Communication self-efficacy improved after training, with an estimated marginal mean difference of 10 points and a reported effect size of 0.81.
Subjective communication knowledge and attitudes also improved after training.
Effects on other secondary outcomes were limited, and further study is needed for communication behavior and patient-centered outcomes.

Practice implications

When implementing communication education, assess learner needs, include practice and feedback, and evaluate both confidence and observable skills after training. Use patient experience or teach-back measures where appropriate instead of treating course completion as evidence of changed care.

Limitations & cautions

The primary outcome was self-reported self-efficacy measured directly after training, and the waitlist design did not establish long-term durability. The study was limited to three German hospitals and did not demonstrate improvement in observed communication behavior, distress, or patient clinical outcomes.
AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

Citations

Exact source links

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Patient education and counseling (PubMed)

Patient education and counseling (PubMed). Effectiveness of a patient-centered communication skills training in nursing care: Results of the randomized controlled KOMPAT-study.

Open original source

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42470793/

Professional education only

This summary does not replace clinical judgment, facility policy, provider orders, or official guidelines. Verify practice changes against the original source and local protocol.

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Staff training and supervision were implementation facilitators.
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Why this matters on shift

Nursing input can help teams evaluate whether a VR program is workable on an inpatient unit.

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Treat inpatient VR as an intervention requiring supervised implementation and evaluation.

Nursing implications

For an approved program, document patient experience, symptom response, supervision needs, and technical barriers.

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Abstract-only summary. This narrative synthesis does not establish a pooled treatment effect or definitive safety across diagnoses and VR applications.
AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

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International journal of older people nursing (PubMed)Sep 1, 2026Systematic ReviewPractice applicable

A review of 15 randomized trials found very uncertain evidence for whether nurse-led case management changes institutionalization, hospital admission, or mortality among community-dwelling older adults.

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The review included 7,995 older adults with frailty or risk of functional impairment. Pooled estimates suggested little to no difference in institutionalization, hospital admissions, or mortality, all with very low-certainty evidence; physical quality of life improved slightly (SMD 0.08, 95% CI 0.00-0.15) with moderate-certainty evidence, but the clinical importance was uncertain.

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Fifteen randomized trials with 7,995 community-dwelling older adults were included.
Evidence for institutionalization, hospital admissions, and mortality was very low certainty.
Nurse-led case management probably produced a slight improvement in physical quality of life.
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Why this matters on shift

Care coordination is often judged only by admissions or placement. This review suggests nurses and leaders should also measure outcomes older adults feel directly, while remaining honest that major utilization and survival benefits are not established.

Bedside takeaway

Track patient-reported quality of life and continuity alongside admissions; major outcome benefits remain uncertain.

Nursing implications

When participating in community case management, document the patient's own goals, function, quality of life, access barriers, and continuity needs in addition to emergency visits and admissions. Do not promise that coordination alone will prevent hospitalization or institutionalization.

Limitations & cautions

Certainty was very low for the major utilization and mortality outcomes, and the physical quality-of-life improvement was small with uncertain clinical importance. Programs and populations varied, so the review does not identify one case-management model that should be adopted universally.
AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

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International journal of older people nursing (PubMed). Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Case Management in Community Settings Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

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BMC public health (PubMed)Aug 29, 2026Systematic ReviewPractice applicable

A systematic review of school-based programs in Africa found modest improvements in some weight-related outcomes, but the pooled effect on BMI-for-age was not statistically significant.

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Eleven studies met inclusion criteria, and nine intervention comparisons contributed to the BMI-for-age meta-analysis. Most programs combined physical activity with nutrition or other behavioral components. The pooled mean difference was 0.03 (95% CI -0.24 to 0.29; p = .813; I² = 69%), so the review did not establish an overall BMI-for-age benefit.

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Why this matters on shift

School and pediatric nurses often reinforce nutrition and activity programs and help families interpret growth trends. The review supports cautious expectations: multicomponent programs may help selected outcomes, but current African evidence does not show a consistent pooled change in BMI-for-age.

Bedside takeaway

Set realistic expectations: school diet-and-activity programs may help some outcomes, but pooled BMI-for-age did not significantly change.

Nursing implications

Use the approved school or clinic health-promotion program, document participation and relevant growth measures, and explain that healthy routines have value even when a short-term BMI change is not guaranteed. Escalate individual growth or health concerns through the pediatric care pathway.

Limitations & cautions

Only 11 studies were included; 72.7% were conducted in South Africa and 70% were quasi-experimental. The pooled analysis was heterogeneous, and the findings may not generalize across African regions, school systems, or individual children.
AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

Citations · exact source links

BMC public health (PubMed). School-based diet and physical activity interventions and weight-related outcomes among children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

How This Applies in Practice

Key takeaways

Practice implications

Limitations & cautions

Exact source links

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