en آموزش پزشکی Medical Education پژوهشي اصیل Orginal Research <span style="line-height:2;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><b>Background & Objective:</b> Communicating with depressed patients is a crucial professional skill for nursing students, which they must learn during their studies. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of blended training&mdash;incorporating both role-playing and reflective practice&mdash;on nursing students&#39; communication skills in their interactions with depressed patients.<br> <b>Materials & Methods:</b> The present semi-experimental study was conducted in 2023 with a before and after two-group design. All sixth-semester nursing students at Torbat Jam Faculty of Medical Sciences were randomly selected and divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. The intervention included therapeutic communication skill training sessions with the role-playing and reflection blended method. The control group received the standard training method. Therapeutic communication skills in dealing with depressed patients before and after the intervention were evaluated by a communication skills questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS version 20, descriptive statistical tests and inferential tests (t-test, analysis of variance, and paired-t) at a significance level 0.05.<br> <b>Results:</b> The average communication skills scores before the intervention showed no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p > 0.05). However, the mean score of communication skills after the intervention was significantly different in the two groups (p < 0.05). The results also indicated that the mean communication skill score after the intervention significantly improved in the experimental group compared to before the intervention (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant change in the mean communication skill score in the control group before and after the intervention (p > 0.05).<br> <b>Conclusion:</b> Educational system managers and planners are suggested to use a blend of these two methods to train nursing students&#39; communication skills, especially in the psychiatric department and when dealing with depressed patients.</span></span></span><br> &nbsp; role-playing, reflection, communication skill, student, nursing, depressed patient 20 29 http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-12-2413-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Fateme Farahi fatemefarahi073@gmail.com 5300319475328460036129 0009-0004-1323-0590 No Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Zahra Amouzeshi 5300319475328460036130 5300319475328460036130 No Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Hamid Nazari 5300319475328460036131 5300319475328460036131 No Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Davood Oudi 5300319475328460036132 5300319475328460036132 Yes Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran