The Impact of Creative Group Teaching and Educational Booklet Methods on Interpersonal Communications among Midwives in Clinical Setting

Group discussion teaching technique for small groups and encouragement of critical but constructive and creative thinking for finding new and efficient solutions can lead to provision of better health and medical services that is defined in clinical setting, as the clinical psychology finds a way for curing and education. The present study was conducted with the aim to compare the effects of creative group teaching and educational booklet on interpersonal skills of midwives in a clinical setting. The present study was conducted on 97 midwifery graduates working in hospitals in Kerman Province, in two groups of educational booklet (49 midwives) and educational workshop (48 midwives) who participated in a 3-day creative teaching workshop in summer 2015. Creative problem-solving teaching intervention group was taught through educational workshop method, including small group and team working, group discussion and mini lectures. Midwifery 1 intervention group was provided with an educational booklet validated by professors of Nursing and Midwifery School for independent and individual study by midwives working in Kerman Province hospitals. The two groups were matched in terms of personal details. Hospitals were randomly selected, and midwives were selected by quota sampling. Interpersonal communication skills of both groups were assessed before and after intervention, and two months later using Interpersonal Communication Skills Test. The results obtained were analyzed in SPSS-16 using descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics including U-Mann-Whitney, paired t, independent t, repeated measures ANOVA tests at significance level of P < 0.05. Mean changes in interpersonal communication scores in workshop group were significantly greater than those in educational booklet group after intervention, and educational workshop had caused a mean score change of 8.46 in every participant (P < 0.001). Two months after educational intervention, mean score change was 8.89 in workshop group, significantly different from 3.11 in educational booklet group (P < 0.001). According to paired t-test, mean scores of interpersonal communication significantly increased in both workshop (100.14 to 117.12) (P < 0.001) and booklet (96.56 to 99.8) groups (P < 0.001). Both teaching methods improved midwives’ interpersonal communication skills. Therefore, standardized educational booklets which produce cost-effective similar results are recommended.