2021 Volume 5 Article ID: 2021-008
In the medical-care field, pharmacists are required to have communication skills suitable to build the relationships of mutual trust with medical professionals as well as patients and, therefore, it is necessary for pharmacy students to acquire the communication skills. It is considered, however, that the educational effect of lectures and role-plays on such skills is insufficient, based on an idea that communication skills can be developed through actual human interactions. We have planned and conducted “Learning Communication from Interpersonal Relationships” with infants and elderly persons to have students aware of their own changes in interpersonal skills. After obtaining the basic knowledge in class, each student engages in one-on-one interactions with a partner preselected at either a childcare or elderly facility. Through learning communication from interpersonal relationships, they succeeded in behavioral changes with awareness of various internal changes inside them, such as reflecting on their feelings, confirming a sense of usefulness to others, and discovering self-esteem. In addition, students realized the importance of being considerate toward other people while embracing hospitality, and were able to develop communication skills, especially nonverbal communication skills.
