Emotional Awareness and Communication Training Effectiveness in Oncology Nurses

This interventional study aims to assess the effectiveness of a structured emotional awareness and communication training program in reducing occupational burnout among oncology nurses. The study will be conducted at Ankara Etlik City Hospital Oncology Unit between November 27, 2025, and May 27, 2026. Participants will include 64 nurses who have been working in the unit for at least six months and consent to participate. They will be randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=32) or a control group (n=32) using stratified randomization.

The intervention group will receive four weekly 45-minute face-to-face training sessions covering:

Recognizing Emotions and Emotional Awareness - understanding emotions and their role in professional practice.

Burnout and Healthy Coping Strategies - identifying burnout symptoms and learning adaptive coping mechanisms.

Challenging Conversations and Effective Communication - practicing empathetic listening, reflection, and emotion-focused communication.

Personal Strategies Against Burnout - applying self-care and stress management techniques.

The control group will receive educational materials in written/digital format after the intervention period to ensure ethical compliance. Data will be collected before and after the intervention using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Emotional Requirements Scale, and the Communication Skills Scale for Healthcare Professionals.

All data will be anonymized, and participants' confidentiality will be strictly maintained. Statistical analyses will be performed using International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for the Social Science Statistics (SPSS) 25.0, including independent and paired t-tests and effect size calculations (Cohen's d) to evaluate the intervention's impact on emotional awareness, communication skills, and burnout levels. This study seeks to provide evidence-based strategies to enhance nurses' psychosocial resilience, improve patient care quality, and reduce occupational burnout in high-stress oncology settings.

Inclusion criteria

• Employed as a nurse in an oncology unit for at least 6 months
• Voluntarily agrees to participate in the study
• Able to attend all training sessions
• Completes both pre-test and post-test questionnaires

Exclusion criteria

• Currently on leave or planning to take leave during the study period
• Has received prior structured training related to emotional awareness or communication skills within the past year
• Diagnosed with a severe psychological disorder that may affect participation