Lifelong Learning Indicators in Medical Students After a Novel Communication Skills Session

• Published in: Journal of pain and symptom management Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. e367 - e374
• Main Authors: Sagin, Alana, Balmer, Dorene, Musheno, Rosie, Olenik, Jennifer M., Dingfield, Laura, Bennett, Nadia L., Dine, C. Jessica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-04-2024
• Subjects: Communication; Education, Continuing; Humans; Learning; Lifelong learning; Motivation; Palliative care; Students, Medical; Undergraduate medical education; Palliative care; Lifelong learning; Undergraduate medical education; Communication
• ISSN: 0885-3924; 1873-6513
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.01.024

A growth mindset and mastery approach have gained attention as useful learning orientations in medical education, however few studies of interventions to foster these orientations exist.
We sought to discover whether a communication skills session on delivering serious news could foster a communication growth mindset and/or a mastery approach in medical students.
This was an interventional survey study of third-year medical students before and after a session on delivering serious news. Students were administered a communication mindset survey before and after the session; achievement goal and learning environment surveys were administered after the session. Chi-square tests were used to assess the difference in pre and post mindsets. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of achieving a mastery approach with pre- and post-communication growth mindset as the independent variables.
Students’ communication growth mindset increased from 79% (n = 186) before the intervention to 92% (n = 142) after the intervention. Achievement goal analysis demonstrated that 64% (n = 91) of students had a mastery approach, 14% (n = 20) had a performance approach and 22% (n = 32) had an avoidant approach. Ninety-nine percent (n = 151) felt the session provided a safe learning environment. The odds of having a mastery approach correlated with both pre and post-intervention growth mindset, with post-session growth mindset having the strongest correlation.
A novel communication skills session on delivering serious news fostered a communication growth mindset in third year medical students. Most students exhibited a mastery approach to learning; this approach was more likely when they had a growth mindset.