The Impact of Perceived Communication Apprehension on Communication Effectiveness and Person-Centered Care Among Prelicensure Nursing Students

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of perceived communication apprehension on the perceived provision of person-centered care and observed communication effectiveness among pre-licensure nursing students. The specific research questions guiding this investigation were: (a) What is the relationship between perceived communication apprehension and perceived provision of person-centered care among prelicensure nursing students? (b) What is the association between the student’s perception of person-centered care and the patient’s report of the student’s communication effectiveness, after controlling for the student’s communication apprehension? and (c) what is the association between the student’s perception of person-centered care and the observer rating of the student’s communication effectiveness, after controlling for the student’s communication apprehension? These research questions addressed a gap in the literature regarding whether communication apprehension affects person-centered care, an important domain of AACN Essentials, and communication effectiveness among prelicensure nursing students. This study was significant because it examined the importance of effective communication in nursing, which is essential for ensuring person-centered care and patient safety, particularly in developing communication effectiveness among prelicensure nursing students. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, administering surveys via Qualtrics software to students, standardized patients, and faculty observers following a simulated patient encounter. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to examine relationships among communication apprehension, communication effectiveness, and person-centered care. One key finding of this study is that a statistically significant negative relationship exists between communication apprehension and patient-rated communication effectiveness, suggesting that greater communication apprehension experienced by the student may be associated with lower patient-rated communication effectiveness. Conversely, person-centered care was positively correlated with communication effectiveness. The findings suggest that nursing programs should emphasize the early development of person-centered care competencies, which rely heavily on effective communication. In clinical settings, these findings emphasize the importance of ongoing assessment and effective communication in professional nursing practice, as they directly influence patient satisfaction, safety, and the quality of nurse-patient interactions. Future research on effective communication may build on this study’s findings by exploring interventions to improve communication effectiveness among prelicensure nursing students.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD in Nursing (Doctoral)

Grantor

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Winters, LaQuisa Millise

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jose, Mini

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Branch, Katie (kcbranch@utmb.edu)
• Junious, DeMonica (dejuniou@utmb.edu)
• Jackson, Antonea (acjackson@utmb.edu)

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2152.3/12846

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utmb-ir.tdl.org:2152.3/12846