'Caring for' behaviours that indicate to patients that nurses 'care about' them
- Authors: Henderson, Amanda , Van Eps, Mary Ann , Pearson, Kate , James, Catherine , Henderson, Peter , Osborne, Yvonne
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 60, no. 2 (2007), p. 146-153
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- Description: Aim. This paper is a report of a study to explore what constitutes nurse-patient interactions and to ascertain patients' perceptions of these interactions. Background. Nurses maintain patient integrity through caring practices. When patients feel disempowered or that their integrity is threatened they are more likely to make a complaint. When nurses develop a meaningful relationship with patients they recognize and address their concerns. It is increasingly identified in the literature that bureaucratic demands, including increased workloads and reduced staffing levels, result in situations where the development of a 'close' relationship is limited. Method. Data collection took two forms: twelve 4-hour observation periods of nurse-patient interactions in one cubicle (of four patients) in a medical and a surgical ward concurrently over a 4-week period; and questionnaires from inpatients of the two wards who were discharged during the 4-week data collection period in 2005. Findings. Observation data showed that nurse-patient interactions were mostly friendly and informative. Opportunities to develop closeness were limited. Patients were mostly satisfied with interactions. The major source of dissatisfaction was when patients perceived that nurses were not readily available to respond to specific requests. Comparison of the observation and survey data indicated that patients still felt 'cared for' even when practices did not culminate in a 'connected' relationship. Conclusion. The findings suggest that patients believe that caring is demonstrated when nurses respond to specific requests. Patient satisfaction with the service is more likely to be improved if nurses can readily adapt their work to accommodate patients' requests or, alternatively, communicate why these requests cannot be immediately addressed. © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
- Description: C1
Maintainance of patients' dignity during hospitalization : comparison of staff-patient observations and patient feedback through interviews
- Authors: Henderson, Amanda , Van Eps, Mary Ann , Pearson, Kate , James, Catherine , Henderson, Peter , Osborne, Yvonne
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Nursing Practice Vol. 15, no. 4 (2009), p. 227-230
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- Description: Patients' rights such as the need for dignity and respect are essential in the provision of quality care. This exploratory clinical study explored patient dignity within the acute hospital environment through observation of staff-patient interactions and interviews with patients. Dignity can be influenced through two major mediums-maintenance of the physical environment and the communication style of the nurse. The findings identified deviations to ideal practice in the maintenance of the physical environment and communication styles of the nursing staff. Maintenance of dignity and privacy were not identified by patients during the interviews as being under threat despite deviations to ideal practice being observed. Patients possibly accept that 'ideal practice' is not always provided to them because nurses are 'busy', or other factors take precedence in this environment. It is possible that a prevailing culture influences patients' perceptions of whether dignity is maintained.