Award Date

5-1-2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Committee Member

Howard Gordon

Second Committee Member

Xue Xing

Third Committee Member

Chia-Liang Dai

Fourth Committee Member

Cecilia Maldonado-Daniels

Number of Pages

137

Abstract

The effect communication has on a patient’s healthcare experience has received increased attention in the past few decades. As a result, a larger emphasis on communication training is being incorporated into the curriculum of healthcare education programs. A student’s attitude toward learning communication skills largely determines the adoption of those skills. The radiologic technologist is a vital member of the healthcare team, yet little research has been done on their attitude toward learning communication skills. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the impact clinical education has on the attitude radiology students have toward learning communication skills. A total of 236 radiology students completed the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) at various stages of training. Four additional open-ended questions explored the communication differences found in classroom training and those being modeled in clinics. Results showed there is an initial increase in attitude toward learning communication skills once students start clinical training which then decreases as they gain more experience. Students indicated interpersonal behaviors such as empathy and listening are part of good communication skills. However, procedural communication is most modeled in clinics. Consistent with the theory of situated cognition that knowledge cannot be separated from doing, students indicated the clinical environment and supervising technologists are most influential to the development of students’ communication behaviors.

Keywords

Healthcare; Communication; Communication skills; Clinical education

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Education | Educational Methods

File Format

pdf

File Size

1.3 MB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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