Therapeutic Communication Training in Perinatal Loss: Simulation-Based Approaches

Acibadem University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Paper-Pencil Simulation; Communication Skills; High-fidelity Simulation; Simulation-based Learning

Treatments: Behavioral: High-Fidelity Simulation-Based Therapeutic Communication Training; Behavioral: Paper-Pencil Simulation-Based Therapeutic Communication Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06959875

2025/05-188

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to evaluate the effect of simulation-based education on nursing students' therapeutic communication skills in managing perinatal loss. Perinatal loss, defined as early fetal loss before 20 weeks of gestation and late fetal loss at or after 20 weeks, is a traumatic experience that significantly impacts parents, especially mothers, on biological, psychological, social, and spiritual levels. Prolonged grief reactions can lead to complicated grief, anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and relationship disturbances. Nursing students are trained to adopt a biopsychosocial approach in patient care and are expected to support grieving individuals by normalizing emotions, identifying coping strategies, and facilitating healthy grief processing. Simulation is recognized as an effective teaching method in developing communication and therapeutic skills among nursing students. This research investigates how simulation-based training can enhance students' therapeutic communication competencies when supporting individuals experiencing perinatal loss.

Enrollment: 70 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 24 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Completion of the theoretical course on postpartum care in the Women's Health and Diseases Nursing course.
• Successful completion of the Human Behavior and Communication course.
• Completion of training on perinatal grief and therapeutic communication skills prior to the simulation training.

Exclusion criteria

• Medical or Psychological Conditions Impacting Communication
• Incomplete Training or Lack of Pre-Simulation Education
• Inability to Participate in the Debriefing Session
• Language Barriers

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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70 participants in 2 patient groups

High-Fidelity Simulation-Based Therapeutic Communication Training

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group engaged in a high-fidelity simulation scenario involving perinatal loss, using a realistic clinical setting with mannequins and role-play. The simulation aimed to provide an experiential learning environment that fosters emotional engagement and realistic practice of therapeutic communication techniques. Students received a structured debriefing session following the simulation.

Treatment:

Behavioral: High-Fidelity Simulation-Based Therapeutic Communication Training

Paper-Pencil Simulation-Based Therapeutic Communication Training

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group participated in a paper-pencil simulation that presented a written clinical scenario involving perinatal loss. Students were asked to analyze the situation, write down appropriate therapeutic communication responses, and discuss these in a guided session. This method focused on the cognitive application of theoretical knowledge in a reflective and structured manner.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Paper-Pencil Simulation-Based Therapeutic Communication Training