Table 1 The pre-ICSS draft items
From: Developing an interpersonal communication skill scale targeting female nursing students
No. | Questions | Unit | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Looking at the patient in a way that is natural and not uncomfortable to the patient | Gaze | Involvement behaviours |
2 | Showing an attitude appropriate for listening (e.g., relaxing the body, sitting straight, and not crossing the arms or legs) | Body language (attitude) | |
3 | Presenting facial expression appropriate for listening (e.g., calm facial expression) | Body language (facial expression) | |
4 | Sitting in a way appropriate for listening | Body language (distance) | |
5 | Nodding while the patient is talking to make it easier for the patient to continue talking | Back channeling (i) | |
6 | Repeating the last word a patient said to make it easier for the patient to continue talking | Back channeling (ii) | |
7 | Asking “what kind of” and “why” to encourage the patient’s free response | Opened questions | Listening techniques |
8 | Asking questions that the patient can answer with “yes” or “no” or with one or two words | Closed questions | |
9 | Nodding while using back channeling expressions such as “uh-huh” and “I see” | Encouragement (i) | |
10 | Repeating the key words contained in what the patient has said | Encouragement (ii) | |
11 | Not simply repeating the words the patient used but rather appropriately expressing what the patient wanted to express using the student’s words | Rephrasing | |
12 | Focusing on the portions of what the patient is saying related to feelings and repeating the emotion-related words the patient used | Reflecting feelings (i) | |
13 | Focusing on the portions of what the patient is saying related to feelings and appropriately expressing the patient’s feelings in the student’s words | Reflecting feelings (ii) | |
14 | Identifying the main point of what the patient said and simply expressing what the patient wanted to convey | Summarizing | |
15 | Trying to find out how the patient understood his or her problem or how he or she was trying to understand this and repeating this back to the patient as accurately as possible | Reflecting meaning | Proactive techniques |
16 | Clearly telling the patient what he or she should do | Directions | |
17 | Telling the patient your ideas to help the patient | Advice | |
18 | Providing the patient with an explanation of a matter that is easily comprehensible | Explanations | |
19 | Telling the patient specifically what he or she should do | Instructions | |
20 | Providing the patient with a view that differs from his or her understanding of the significance of his or her behaviors, ideas, and feelings | Interpretations | |
21 | Providing the patient with information about the student themselves that is related to the patient in a way that is appropriate to the situation | Self-revelation (i) | |
22 | When providing information about oneself related to the patient, adjusting the quantity and quality of the information in accordance with the time and place | Self-revelation (ii) | |
23 | When a patient is about to make a decision, encouraging the patient to think about the good and bad consequences accompanying the decision | Logical consequences | |
24 | Providing the patient with specific and limited feedback (informing the patient of how he or she appears) while maintaining focus on merits and facts | Feedback (i) | |
25 | After informing the patient about how he or she appears, confirming whether the information was significant to the patient | Feedback (ii) | |
26 | Observing the verbal and non-verbal expressions and attitudes displayed by the patient and noticing discrepancies between the two | Confrontation (i) | |
27 | Appropriately informing the patient of his or her contradictions. | Confrontation (ii) | |
28 | Checking with the patient to confirm whether the student’s way of handling the patient’s contradictions was effective | Confrontation (iii) |