Publicatie

Publication date

Nurse-patient communication: an integrative review for future direction in nursing research.

Höglander, J., Holmström, I., Lövenmark, A., Dulmen, S. van, Eide, H., Sundler, A. Nurse-patient communication: an integrative review for future direction in nursing research. Patient Education and Counseling: 2023, 109(Suppl. S), p. 69. Meeting abstract
ABSTRACT:

Background
There is an increased demand for effective communication and competent communication skills within healthcare. Registered nurses (RNs) often work independently to care for a variety of patients, managing complex conditions and illnesses, which inevitably puts a high demand on their communication skills. However, the number of physician-patient communication studies has, until now, been much higher than that of RN-patient communication studies, and there is no recent literature review that focuses on observational studies of RN-patient communication. An overview of studies on RN-patient communication would help to set an agenda for future research and the aim was to investigate the theoretical approaches, methods, content, and perspectives in research on real-life communication between RNs and patients.

Method: An integrative review of 49 articles, published between 1996-2020, to assess nursing research on real-life communication between RNs and patients.

Findings
Different methods were used for studying real-life communication, but no clear picture of the theoretical underpinnings of communication was revealed. The communication between RNs and patients was complex and important for relationship-building and patient-centered care. Patients' communication was affected by how RNs communicated, and both RNs and patients used different communication styles and strategies.

Discussion
Healthcare is changing, and so is the demand for effective communication. RN-patient communication is multifaceted and needs further exploration as it is essential for high-quality care. The importance of RNs’ communication for interaction and relationship-building is well established, but little research focuses on patients’ communication with RNs, and integration of theories, such as nursing or communication theories, is weak in most studies. Hence, more research is needed, especially on patients’ communication with RNs and their perspective on communication, the impact communication has on patient outcomes, and what communication skills are required.