Bhana, Varshika M.2015-08-032015-08-032014-12Bhana VM 2014, 'Interpersonal skills development in Generation Y student nurses : a literature review', Nurse Education Today, vol. 34, no.12, pp.1430-1434.0260-6917 (print)1532-2793 (online)10.1016/j.nedt.2014.05.002http://hdl.handle.net/2263/49249BACKGROUND : Student nurses require training in the development of the interpersonal skills that are required for therapeutic nurse–patient relationships. This training should be providedwithin the basic education of nurses in a higher education institution. As the birth years of Generation Y range fromthe early 1980s to the late 1990s this generation is of the age group that enrols in higher education institutions. The unique learning needs of this generation necessitate a review of teaching strategies used in the development of interpersonal skills. OBJECTIVES : The aimof this study is to present a literature reviewon the significance and development of interpersonal skills in Generation Y nursing students through nursing education. METHODOLOGY : Literature searcheswere conducted on databases—with the use of Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Clinical key, PubMed and Google Scholar—using specific keywords and a timeframe of 2005 to 2013. All relevant articles were read critically. FINDINGS : Interpersonal skills are at the core of the nurse–patient relationship. Meaningful interaction is recognised in Swanson's theory of “informed caring”. Debates, case studies, role-playing, storytelling, journaling, simulations and web page links to audio and video clips are some of the teaching strategies which can develop the interpersonal skills needed for meaningful interactions. CONCLUSION : Teaching strategies embedded in the deconstruction pedagogies stimulate critical, analytical thinking through methods which complement the unique learning styles of Generation Y learners.en© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Notice : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Nurse Education Today. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Nurse Education Today, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 1430-1434, 2014. doi : 10.1016/j.nedt.2014.05.002.Interpersonal skillsCommunicationNurse–patient relationshipNurse educationGeneration YMillennium generationPractice developmentPostprint Article