Improvisation Theater Exercises: A Novel Approach to Teach Communication Skills.

BACKGROUND: Nurse practitioner students need effective communication skills to provide patient-centered care and work in diverse health care teams. Improvisation exercises, adapted from theater training, have been used to improve communication skills with health professions education and can be used in nurse practitioner education. METHOD: Fifty-eight family nurse practitioner students participated in a 2-hour workshop where they learned four improvisation exercises to improve listening skills, observational skills, and the ability to respond in the moment. Students learned the application of these skills for health care conversations. RESULTS: The workshop was well received by the students, and evaluations reflected that students anticipated using the skills in professional practice and personal communications. CONCLUSION: Improvisation exercises can be used in nursing education to teach communication skills. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(2):116-119.].

Innovative Intraprofessional Clinical Training for Clinical Nurse Specialists and Nurse Practitioner Students.

BACKGROUND: Most graduate nursing education curricula naturally segregate students by role as they move into their role-specific coursework and clinical experiences. Segregation diminishes the opportunity for students to form important intraprofessional relationships. Intraprofessional collaboration can potentiate the influence of advanced practice nurses on individual patients, patient populations, and larger health care systems. METHOD: This pilot program paired clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioner students in immersion clinical practicum experiences aimed to increase their understanding of each other's role and potential avenues for collaboration in future practice. RESULTS: Students report increased levels of understanding of each other's roles and scope of practice. Pairing students in immersion experiences broadens their clinical reach and potentiates their influence on vulnerable patient populations. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that this pilot program can be sustained. Benefits to early and focused intraprofessional educational experiences include increased awareness of advanced practice roles, scope of practice, and potential avenues for future collaboration. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(12):748-751.].