new technology in the human services

NTHS Vol: 10:(2) pp 23-24

ProCare, (1996), Interpersonal Skills - Nursing, ProCare ISBN: 085432 6065

Dr Pam Miller is an associate professor of social work at Ball State University Muncie Indiana. She teaches on a social policy course and the two research courses for undergraduate social work students. She has been involved for the last two years in a project with the School of Nursing to prepare social work and nursing students to work in inter professional teams using technology as a communication tool.

Contact her at:

Department of Social Work
Ball State University Muncie,
Indiana 47307
USA

Email: Olpamiller@bsuvc.bsu.edu

Interpersonal Skills - Nursing Module

reviewed by Pam Miller

Description of Software:

Interpersonal Skills by ProCare provides a module with content on basic interpersonal skills used in both nursing and social work. After a unit which introduces students to communication and the basic skills they will work on, a Problem-solving model of practice is used to provide the context within which students work with the skills. Problem solving is divided into seven phases, each of which is structured into a learning unit: Making contact, Assessment Planning, Implementation, Maintaining Contact, Endings, and Evaluation. Each of those units, except Maintaining Contact and Evaluation, consists of two sessions and during each session students are asked to use basic interpersonal skills to work through the tasks required for that phase of the problem solving process. Each session takes approximately 1.5-2 hours to complete and contains material on basic information for that unit (Interface) along with materials and activities students work with to achieve the objectives of that unit (Conceptual and Contextual). Students engage in three kinds of activity as they move through each unit:

  • Describe their current knowledge of the topic in the unit;
  • Integrate what they have learned in the session with their previous understanding of the topic;
  • Identify their learning from the unit and assess their readiness or practicing interpersonal skills in professional practice.

A helpful feature of the module is the access to supportive readings provided in each unit. The readings are provided through a link which allows students to examine articles from professional journals which deal with the topic on which they are working (Linked Readings). An additional useful feature in the module is a notepad in which students can record their reactions and questions as they work through the sessions (Personal Notes).

Software Specifications- Producer: ProCare

Technical specifications: The four files on the disk, which accompanies the Manual, can installed on Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1 1, Windows 95 or a Network

Usability and Manual

The social work and nursing instructors who tested the software found it very easy to load on to their PCs. We loaded it on to machines which had Windows 3.1, 95 and NT without any difficulty. The installation instructions in the instructor's manual (Tutor Guide) were clear and easy to follow, clicking on the setup file took us through a quick process of putting the software on our C drives. As we moved through the sessions we found the Tutor Guide helpful as well as the Navigation Bar at the top of the screen. The Navigation Bar provided functions for: downsizing or enlarging the text, printing frames, copying text into the notepad or other Windows applications, backtracking, bookmarking, graphically representing progress through the module, user guide access which gives information on the basic features of the module, and finally access to the main menu. The Tutor Guide gives suggestions, along with examples, for incorporating the module in social work and nursing programs. It also gives recommendations for using the module as an assessment tool.

Overall Evaluation of Module and 'Would we buy it?':

Although the module we evaluated was intended for nursing students, both social work and nursing faculty examined the module. The interpersonal skills and problem-solving model of practice used in the module are relevant for both groups of professionals and the Tutor Guide is addressed to both nursing and social work faculty. Another version of the module is intended for social work students. The faculty rated the module as helpful as a tool for students to use to review basic skills within the context of the problem-solving model of practice both professions use. We also found the module to be user friendly, both in ease of installation and in using the functions built into the module. The cases, which are described in the sessions and about which students are asked to respond as if they were in that situation, are relevant and interesting. We think they would engage our students.

The "Specialist Tools" section, was especially interesting to the social work faculty because of the graphs provided in, for example, the communication model and ecomap. They viewed this as reinforcement for the approach they take in the practice and human behavior courses. The graphs also help break up a primarily text based presentation of information, cases, and questions. The one area which was viewed as an area for development was in the area of reliance on text based instruction. The faculty would ae to see more use of visual aids and a more dynamic presentation of case material. A CD with video and audio, for example, would enhance greatly the presentation of client situations about which students could be asked to problem-solve. We would consider purchasing the software as a supplement to our practice and human behavior courses as a tool for reinforcing student learning and for students to do self assessments on their learning. We think the depth of functions and features ProCare has included in their interpersonal skills software would be enhanced with video and audio and in turn engage students more completely in learning.

For further information on ProCare Modules contact either of the following:

Tom Hopkins
Institute of Health and Community Studies
Bournemouth University
Bournemouth House
17 Christchurch Road
Bournemouth BH] 3LG UK

Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1305 766729
Email: 101661.1534@compuserve.com

Jackie Rafferty
Centre for Human Service Technology
School of Social Sciences
University of Southampton
Southampton SO17 IBJ
UK

Tel: +44 (0)023 8059 2925
Fax: +44 (0)023 8059 2779
Email: j.rafferty@soton.ac.uk



Last updated 17 December 1999

The journal has now ceased publication (2003)