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The influence of the use of diagnostic resources on nurses' communication with simulated patients during admission
Wolter Paans1,2, Maria Müller-Staub3,4, Roos Nieweg1,2
1School of Nursing, Research and Innovation Group in Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to determine how the use of diagnostic resources influences nurses' communication during admission interviews.
Methods:
A randomized controlled trial was performed. Actors simulated patients based on case studies. We analyzed transcriptions of 60 interviews and video recordings using the Roter Method of Interaction Process Analysis.
Findings:
Nurses mainly asked closed-ended questions. The use of knowledge sources, such as forms in the PES format or an assessment format, affected communication significantly in several aspects.
Conclusion:
Prestructured forms may promote comprehensive interviews, but nurses need to be aware that using certain kinds of diagnostic resources may hinder them from asking open-ended questions.
Practice Implications:
Nurses need to increase their use of open-ended questions.
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