Nurses' interpersonal behaviours and the development of helping skills

This study investigates the interpersonal behaviours of general nurses and evaluates the effectiveness of a nine-week program in developing helping skills. Ninety-nine nurses undertaking tertiary studies were administered the FIRO-B Scale, which assesses six dimensions of interpersonal behaviours, before and after the skills program. Changes in interpersonal behaviours were examined for the total sample and for six clinical subgroups based on the nurse's area of clinical practice. Nurses' FIRO-B scores at pre-test were also compared with results from a sample of occupational therapy students. The results of this study showed that nurses, when compared with occupational therapists, had less desire to belong and a stronger need to influence or control interpersonal relationships. When clinical subgroups of nurses were contrasted, significant differences in the need for inclusion and affection were identified. Evaluation of the communication skills program demonstrated some significant improvements in helping attitudes for the sample as a whole, but no differences when specific nursing subgroups were examined. Findings from this study are discussed in relation to the helping role of nurses, methodological limitations, and directions for future investigation.