Teaching Nursing Assistant Students about Aphasia and Communication

ABSTRACT

Research indicates that communication between patients with communication disorders and their health care providers may be compromised, which leads to adverse outcomes and reduced participation in patients' own health care. Emerging studies demonstrate that effective communication education programs may decrease communication difficulties. This feasibility study of an education program that includes people with aphasia as educators aims to improve nursing assistant students' knowledge of aphasia and awareness of supported communication strategies while also examining the experiences of participants with aphasia. This preliminary study suggests that explicit aphasia and communication training delivered in this format has positive learning outcomes for nursing assistant students and potential psychosocial benefits to participants with aphasia. The format can be modified for a variety of health care audiences and lends itself to implementation by community aphasia groups and centers.

KEYWORDS

Aphasia - education - nursing assistants - communication - students

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APPENDIX A Aphasia and Communication

APPENDIX B Structured Interview Questions for Copresenters with Aphasia

1. What do you think about your experiences going to Bergen Community College to talk with the nursing assistant students about aphasia and communication?

2. Do you get anything personally out of doing those trainings? If yes, what?

3. Why are you involved in this project?

4. On a scale of one to ten (1 = worst; 10 = best), how would you rate the experience?

5. How does it make you feel to be part of this project?

6. What do you think is good about this program? What do you think makes this program work?

7. What do you think we should change about this program?

8. Are there other education or outreach projects that you would like to do?

9. Do you plan to continue to be involved in aphasia education projects in the future? Why/why not?

10. Is there anything else you would like to add?