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.