Development and application of a narrative medicine-based training course to improve health education competency in nursing interns
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Background The development of health education competency in nursing interns is crucial, yet many struggle with effective patient communication and engagement. Narrative medicine, emphasizing empathy and understanding patient stories, offers a potential pedagogical solution. Objective This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a narrative medicine-based health education training program for nursing interns, using diabetes education as an example. Methods The constructed curriculum, Health Education Training for Nursing Interns from the Perspective of Narrative Medicine: A Case Study of Diabetes Health Education, comprised five components: (1) theoretical foundations and practical applications of narrative medicine, (2) fundamental knowledge of diabetes health education, (3) practical application of narrative medicine in diabetes health education, (4) training in health education communication skills, and (5) emotional support and humanistic care for diabetic patients. We used convenience sampling, 85 nursing interns at China-Japan Friendship Hospital from August to October 2023 were selected as participants and randomly divided into an intervention group (n = 43) and a control group (n = 42) via a random number table. The intervention group received the narrative medicine-based training, while the control group followed traditional training methods. Differences between the two groups were compared in terms of health education competency, nurse-patient communication, empathy, and humanistic care ability before and after the intervention. Results After intervention, compared with the control group, the intervention group scored significantly higher for total health education competency (Z=-1.987, P < 0.05), nurse-patient communication (t = 2.465, P < 0.05), and empathy (Z = 2.07, P < 0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were observed in health education implementation, evaluation, or total humanistic care ability and its subdimensions (P > 0.05). Conclusion The narrative medicine-based training curriculum effectively improved nursing interns'health education competency, nurse-patient communication, and empathy, but its impact on humanistic care ability and practical application of health education was limited.
