Communication Skills of Undergraduate Student's Advisors in Kerman University of Medical Sciences-2011

A proper and effective consultation requires using efficient communication skills during the consultation process. The aim of this research was to determine communication skills of undergraduate students’ advisors in Kerman University of Medical Sciences

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed from March 2010 to August 2010. Study population included undergraduate students of four colleges of whom 379 students were selected by stratified sampling. A self-designed 17-item questionnaire was used to collect data. Questions were designed based on different communication skills of advisors and modified by getting the opinions of 8 experts in the field. Validity was approved by test-retest and data were analyzed by using descriptive and analytic statistics and through SPSS software.

Mean scores of oral and written communication skills, providing feedback, understanding others, being a good listener and the ability to influence others were 54.6%, 50.95%, 55.62%, 57.76%, 58.35% and 55.49% respectively.

Considering the importance of communication skills in the success of an appropriate counseling, improving advisors’ communication skills is essential and it is necessary to consider different aspects of communication skills such as oral and written communication skills, providing feedback, Understanding others, being a good listener and the ability to influence others.