Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a communication course with lecture, small group activity and music therapy for nursing students, compared to a conventional lecture course.
Methods: The design of this study was a nonequivalent control group with a pre-post test. Data were collected by questionnaires from 166 nursing students from Y University, Seoul, Korea, with 92 in the experimental group and 74 in the control group. A 13 session program with lecture, small group activity and music therapy was given to the experimental group in 2008, while a conventional lecture course was given to the control group in 2007. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and independent/paired t-tests.
Results: There were no significant differences in interpersonal communications or relationships change between the experimental and control group. We found that which area in interpersonal communication and relationships had a positive effect in each course.
Conclusion: The results indicate a need to consider the characteristics of students and thoroughly prepare for operational difficulties in advance of effectively administering various instructional methods in communication courses for nursing students in the second year