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Nurses' perceptions of communication training in the ICU
Jill V Radtke1, Judith A Tate, Mary Beth Happ
1Department of Acute & Tertiary Care, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, 336 Victoria Building, 3500 Victoria Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States. jvr5@pitt.edu
Intensive & Critical Care Nursing
|December 17, 2011
Summary
Critical care nurses found communication training valuable for nonspeaking patients, but implementation barriers like patient status and time exist. Interdisciplinary efforts are key for integrating these communication skills.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Critical Care
- Communication Science
Background:
- Effective communication is vital for critically ill patients, especially those unable to speak.
- Nurses require specialized training and tools to facilitate communication with non-speaking patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore critical care nurses' experiences and perceptions of a communication intervention for non-speaking, critically ill patients.
- To evaluate the utility of a basic communication skills training program (BCST) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving focus groups and interviews with six critical care nurses.
- Analysis of transcripts using qualitative content analysis and constant comparison.
- Study conducted in two ICUs in western Pennsylvania, USA.
Main Results:
- Nurses perceived varying value and competence in communicating with non-speaking patients.
- Barriers to implementation included patient mental status, time constraints, and insufficient nurse training.
- The BCST was viewed as helpful; advanced AAC strategies received mixed reviews.
Conclusions:
- Communication skills training can reinforce existing strategies and aid in acquiring new ones for non-speaking patients.
- Successful integration requires unit-wide, interdisciplinary dissemination, expert modeling, and reinforcement.
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