Perceptions of Caring Behaviors among Patients and Nurses

The concept of caring is fundamental to nursing practice. The aim of this study was to investigate patients' and nurses' caring behaviors and the possible differences between the two groups. In this descriptive and comparative study, 310 patients and 329 nurses from six general hospitals from Greece completed the Caring Behaviors Inventory-16. The mean score of Caring Behaviors Inventory-16 for patients was 78.94 (±17.85) and for nurses 80.27 (±9.36). The items "Demonstrating professional knowledge and skills" (Mean: 5.45 ± 3.62) and "Treating my information confidentially" (Mean: 5.34 ± 1.06) were the most important caring behaviors while the items "Including me in planning care" (Mean: 4.36 ± 1.56), and "Treating me as an individual" (Mean: 4.55 ± 1.46) were the least important caring behaviors for patients. For nurses, the most important caring behavior was "Treating patients" information confidentially" (Mean: 5.43 ± 0.94) and the least important was "Returning to the patient voluntarily" (Mean: 4.57 ± 3.68). Significant differences were observed in items: "Attentively listening to me/the patient" (t = -2.05, p = 0.04), "Treating me/the patient as an individual" (t = -7.82, p = 0.00), "Being empathetic or identifying with me/the patient" (t = -2.80, p = 0.00), and "Responding quickly when I/the patient call (t = -2.01, p = 0.04). Respect, privacy, and dignity were the most important caring behaviors for nurses while for patients they were knowledge, skills, and safety.

Investigation of the relationship between nursing students' disgust sensitivity and caring behaviours

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the disgust sensitivity of nursing students, the factors affecting this sensitivity, their caring behaviors and the relationships between these components.

BACKGROUND

Disgust sensitivity has been conceptualized as the degree of disgust felt in response to various stimuli. Nursing students often encounter recognized disgust triggers in clinical practice, such as feces, mucus, urine, foul-smelling wounds and contact with the dead. The nursing students' disgust sensitivity can affect the way they think and may affect their care behaviors.

DESIGN

The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design and was conducted with nursing students in a Turkish university nursing program (n = 577).

METHODS

The study data was collected through the Disgust Sensitivity Scale-Revised Form and the Caring Assessment Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Of the students in the study, 59.6% stated that they experienced disgust while providing care. A negative relationship was found between students' total scores from the Disgust Scale and the Caring Assessment Questionnaire (p < 0.01). The students' disgust sensitivity level was high and the higher the disgust sensitivity, the fewer caring behaviors they exhibited.

CONCLUSIONS

In light of these findings, it can be said that the caring behaviors of nursing students are negatively influenced by disgust sensitivity. Hence, nurse educators need to evaluate students' disgust sensitivity, help students to identify and address their disgust emotions, deal with disgust management strategies together and be aware of when students need support.

Facilitators and barriers to the provision of type 1 diabetes inpatient care: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

AIM

The aim and objective of this study was to understand how non-specialized nurses understand the possible barriers and facilitators of inpatient care for type 1 diabetes.

DESIGN

An interpretative phenomenology approach was conducted.

METHODS

The sample consisted of non-specialized nurses (N = 24) working in medical, surgical and nephrology wards in the state hospitals in Cyprus. The data were collected during 2016-2018 from one focus group with nurses (N = 6) and individual semi-structured interviews with nurses (N = 18) conducted. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist used to ensure the quality of the study.

RESULTS

It is evident from the study findings that nurses experience several barriers in diabetes inpatient care reported which are of great concern since this could have adverse effects on patients' outcomes. Only one facilitator has been reported by few nurses.

Exploration of service recipients' image of a perfect nurse: A qualitative descriptive study

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore the image of the perfect nurse from service recipients' perspective.

BACKGROUND

The public image of nursing is one of the long-term challenges of this profession. Specific cultures affect the views and satisfaction of nursing service recipients.

METHODS

This study was a qualitative descriptive study conducted in 2018. Purposive sampling was used and continued until saturation. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with service recipients who had experience in using nursing services in the past six months. Participants were 5 men and 7 women. Interviews transcript verbatim and analyzed by qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged from the perspective and experience of the participants concerning perfect nurse including the followings: affable (compassionate, sympathetic and good-tempered), responsive (answering questions, answering requests), tower of strength (listener, being patient, understanding and attention) and efficient (providing careful care, providing timely care, providing proper care).

CONCLUSION

From the participants' perspective, a perfect nurse should be responsive to the patient and be well-mannered and patient with them in addition to providing expert care. Therefore, nurses should not only improve their skills in providing care but also focus on the communication dimension and respond to the patients. Identifying communication barriers with the clients in the context of the study is also suggested.

How do patients experience caring? Scoping review

OBJECTIVE

Summarise empirical research into patients' experiences of caring in order to promote this as a core condition for the work of health professionals.

METHODS

A review team: carried out a scoping review with a phenomenological orientation that did not privilege any profession or context of care; comprehensively searched six databases from inception to the present, including all English language articles that report patients' lived experiences of caring; and identified and contrasted uncaring experiences.

RESULTS

43 articles straddled nursing, medicine, and physiotherapy, and a wide range of care settings. Patients experienced caring when competent professionals displayed positive attitudes, communicated effectively, formed relationships, helped them navigate clinical services, and engaged emotionally.

CONCLUSION

This research provides a rich description of caring, which was derived from patients', rather than professionals', experiences.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Whilst publications and basic professional curricula are dominated by the perspectives of single professions, this research describes patients' experiences that can prepare all health professionals to be caring in collaborative, interprofessional practice.

Trust in nurse–patient relationships

The aim of this study was to report the results of a literature review of empirical studies on trust within the nurse–patient relationship. A search of electronic databases yielded 34 articles published between 1980 and 2011. Twenty-two studies used a qualitative design, and 12 studies used quantitative research methods. The context of most quantitative studies was nurse caring behaviours, whereas most qualitative studies focused on trust in the nurse–patient relationship. Most of the quantitative studies used a descriptive design, while qualitative methods included the phenomenological approach, grounded theory, ethnography and interpretive interactionism. Data collection was mainly by questionnaires or interviews. Evidence from this review suggests that the development of trust is a relational phenomenon, and a process, during which trust could be broken and re-established. Nurses’ professional competencies and interpersonal caring attributes were important in developing trust; however, various factors may hinder the trusting relationship.

Medical care in the nursing home

With the advent of the graying of the baby boomers, there is an urgent need to enhance care in the nursing home. This article focuses on the areas where high-quality care can improve outcomes.

Nurses' and patients' perceptions of caring behaviours: quantitative systematic review of comparative studies

AIM

This paper is a report of a systematic review conducted to test the hypothesis that nurses and patients perceive the concept of caring in nursing differently.

BACKGROUND

Caring is viewed as the central focus of nursing. However, despite its fundamental place in clinical practice, researchers and scholars have failed in reaching a common definition. This failure has led to eliciting for nebulous interpretations of the concept often leading to perplexity and opposing views between patients and nurses.

DATA SOURCES

Extensive search was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE between March and May 2009 with no publishing time limit and the keywords 'care', 'caring', 'nurse', 'nursing', 'behavio(u)rs', 'patient', 'perception', 'quantitative' and 'comparative'.

REVIEW METHODS

This quantitative systematic review of comparative studies followed the guidance of the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. A seven-item 'yes' or 'no' checklist was developed and used for appraising the quality status of the selected literature. Narrative summary technique was used to report outcomes.

RESULTS

Evidence of incongruence of perceptions between patients and nurses is mainly supported by the literature. Few studies, however, report aspects of congruence.

CONCLUSION

There is considerable evidence of the assertion that there is no congruence of perceptions between patients and nurses as regards to which behaviours are considered caring and intended caring is not always perceived as such by the patient. Further research is needed, however, to generate more knowledge on the relationship between caring behaviours, patient outcomes and health or nursing costs.