Teach basic psychology. Instruct an online course that introduces students to behavioral and mental processes. Basic psychology classes will help students understand normal and abnormal reactions to difficult stressful situations, such as a patient reacting to the news of their health condition. Provide reading on topics such as social psychology, therapy, human development, emotion, personality, and behavioral disorders.
Provide hypothetical situations. Give students exams that ask them to react to hypothetical medical emergencies, such as a child suffering from a worsening case of pneumonia. Provide a list of possible reactions that all seem feasible, but give one that serves as the best, most caring answer. For instance, if a family member is crying about her child's sickness, a nurse can console the parent without losing her professionalism.
Teach direct patient care. Give students examples of how to balance caring and professionalism. For example, give students a sample dialogue between a patient and a nurse. One exercise might ask students to correct the dialogue so that it is more caring in tone but remains supportive and professional. Include examples of how the nurse should talk with a family member coping with a loved one's sickness or death. When you receive student responses on-line, provide additional help to students whose answers seem overly emotional or not caring enough.
Teach crisis management. Provide a course that introduces nursing students to strategic plans for handling hospital crises. Instruct through written materials, streaming Internet tutorial videos and coursework how a nurse should react to high-stress situations, such as a nursing staff shortage. In a shortage, for example, clear communication and listening to co-workers attentively will bring positive, more effective results for patients in need.
Create coursework focusing on how to communicate clearly. Include readings, exercises and exams on how to communicate clearly with fellow nurses. According to the National Institute of Health, a study suggests that staff nurses demand more support from their supervisors, which they can achieve through effective communication.