Development and effects of a high-risk pregnancy emotive role-play program for nursing students: a quasi-experimental study

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop an emotive role-play program for nursing students focusing on high-risk pregnancy and analyze its effects on communication skills, clinical performance, and emotional intelligence. METHODS: A quasi-experimental nonequivalent comparison group design was adopted with 83 nursing students (experimental group, 45; comparison group, 38) who participated voluntarily in an extracurricular program. The preliminary survey was conducted on November 3 and November 4, 2020, and the follow-up survey was conducted on November 12, 2020, for the comparison group and on November 27, 2020, for the experimental group. A program that included five role-play scenarios related to induced labor, preeclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor, and infertility was developed by a group of experts and presented to the experimental group over 11 total hours across 3 days. Each student participated in a role-play scenario as a patient, family member, or nurse and observed three other scenarios. The comparison group received a workbook after the follow-up evaluation. The independent t-test was performed to analyze changes in communication skills, clinical performance, and emotional intelligence. RESULTS: Communication skills (t=1.84, p=.035) and clinical performance (t=2.75, p=.004) significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the comparison group. A significant difference was not observed between the experimental and comparison groups for emotional intelligence (t=1.36, p=.088). CONCLUSION: The emotive role-play program concerning high-risk pregnancy was effective in improving nursing students’ communication skills and clinical performance and can be used in nursing education related to high-risk pregnancy and childbirth.