Listening and communication styles in nursing students

Objective: In nursing, where communication is crucial for collaboration with colleagues, informing and reassuring clients as well as advocating. Use of appropriate styles is fundamental. Consideration of nursing students listening and communication styles is necessary to understand whether this area needs further enhancement in the curriculum. Yet, little information exists for nurse educators around this area. Methods: A cross-sectional study of Bachelor of Nursing students from one Australian university was conducted using paper-based versions of the Listening Styles Profile (LSP) and Communicator Style Measure (CSM). Findings revealed strong preference for People listening style and Friendly communicator style.