Nurses' comprehension and recall process of a patient's message with double-bind information

Area of Science:

• Communication Studies
• Nursing Education
• Psychology

Background:

• Effective patient communication is crucial in healthcare.
• Understanding how healthcare professionals process complex information is vital for patient safety.
• Double-bind messages can create challenges in communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how nurses and nursing students comprehend and recall patient information presented with conflicting communication cues.
• To determine the impact of tone of voice versus verbal content on message interpretation.
• To analyze the role of listener perception in understanding double-bind information.

Main Methods:

• A 2x2x2 experimental design was employed, varying listener (nurse/student), tone (positive/negative), and verbal content (positive/negative).
• Participants (79 nurses, 99 students) listened to tape-recorded patient scenarios with congruent or conflicting communication modes.
• Comprehension and recall accuracy were measured using rating scales and detailed recall tasks.

Main Results:

• Listeners demonstrated better recall and comprehension when tone of voice and verbal content were congruent.
• Recall accuracy was primarily linked to message comprehension, not the listener's emotional response to the speaker.
• In ambiguous situations, listeners relied more on tone of voice than verbal content to infer the speaker's feelings.

Conclusions:

• Congruent communication channels enhance message processing and recall for healthcare professionals.
• Objective comprehension, rather than subjective feelings, drives accurate recall in complex patient interactions.
• Tone of voice plays a significant role in interpreting speaker emotions, particularly in challenging communication scenarios.