The Concepts of “Patient Suffering” and “Favorable Interaction” in Nurse-Patient Conflicts Based on Gaps in Perception

Mayumi Uno*

Received: January 06, 2018;   Published: January 17, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.02.000666

Full Text PDF

To view the Full Article   Peer-reviewed Article PDF

Abstract

Aims and Objective: To determine nurses’ and patients’ perceptions regarding nurse-patient conflicts.

Background: Nurse-patient conflicts, and both parties’ responses to them, are known to influence patients’ perceptions of the quality of nursing care. However, there remains a need to better understand and conceptually interpret both parties’ perceptions, which this study aimed to fulfill.

Design: A qualitative study aiming to create a conceptual model.

Method: Participants were nurses attending nurse-manager training courses and phone counselors who handled calls from patients seeking advice. Descriptive surveys were distributed to 320 nurses in August and November 2012, January 2013, and June 2014. We further conducted 8 interviews with phone counselors in December 2013 and January-February 2014, which were also supplemented with existing data from a previous study.

Result: Two conceptual models were formed, depending on whether nurses demonstrated awareness of perception gaps within nursepatient conflicts. When nurses were unaware of such gaps, patients experienced “suffering” because no compensatory interaction occurred. However, when nurses were aware of the gaps, a favorable interaction occurred because they established an empathetic connection with patients. Perception gaps could be categorized as communication, mood, knowledge, and experience gaps.

Conclusion: Nurses should be aware of nurse-patient perception gaps arising from conflicts with patients. By establishing a connection with patients through recognition of these perception gaps, nurses can leverage their empathetic understanding of patients to produce positive interactions. These results may contribute to improvement in patient perceptions of nursing care quality.

Relevance to Clinical Practice: By recognizing the gaps in perceptions between themselves and patients, nurses can better understand patients’ emotions and nurture beneficial interactions. These, in turn, may contribute to improving the quality of nursing care.

What Does This Paper Contribute To The Wider Global Clinical Community?

A. This study offers suggestions on the competencies nurses must have to transform nurse-patient conflicts into productive experiences for both parties.

B. We offer a conceptual framework for understanding nurse-patient conflict that is based on nurses’ awareness of perception gaps between themselves and patients.

Keywords: Quality of Nursing; Nurse-Patient Relationship; Conflict; Perception Gaps; Suffering; Empathy; Qualitative Research

Abbreviations: PCC: Patient-Centered Care; EBP: Evidence-Based Practice; SD: Standard Deviation; EI: Emotional Intelligence

Abstract| Introduction| Method| Result| Discussion| Conclusion| Relevance to Clinical Practice| References|