Effect of Communication Skills Training on the Burnout of Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: One of the factors influencing the burnout of nurses is their difficult and complicated relations with patients and other members of the medical team. Therefore, it is necessary that nurses to be trained on communication skills. Aim: The present research aims to study the effect of communication skills training on the burnout of nurses. Materials and Methods: The present research was an experimental study using pretest-posttest method. The subjects included 60 nurses working in Khatamolanbia Hospital in Iranshahr, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The required data and information were collected using Jackson and Maslach Burnout Inventory which was filled out by subjects in three steps including before the intervention, at the end of the second session, and one month after the intervention. The intervention included training on communication skills which was carried out for the intervention group as a 2-day workshop for 8 hours within a week. Results: The findings showed that the mean score of frequency and intensity of burnout in the intervention group before the intervention, at the end of the intervention, and one month after the intervention was 39.3 +/- 6.2 and 61.1 +/- 8.0, 37.5 +/- 4.6 and 58.8 +/- 7.6, and 34.2 +/- 4.4 and 54.6 +/- 7.0, respectively. These changes suggest a significant decreasing trend (p=0.01). On the other hand, mean scores of burnout in the control group showed no significant difference in three steps (p<0.05). Conclusion: Since communication skills training is an effective and inexpensive way for reducing the burnout among nurses, it is recommended that this approach to be taken into account by managers in order to reduce the burnout among nurses and improve the quality of healthcare services provided by them.