Making Me Feel Comfortable: Developing Trust in the Nurse for Mexican Americans

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Sociology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Interpersonal trust is vital for patient-centered and culturally competent care.
• Trust is a significant element within Hispanic cultural values.
• Understanding trust development in the nurse-patient relationship is essential for quality healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conceptualize the process of interpersonal trust development between hospitalized patients and their nurses.
• To explore the influence of cultural values on trust formation in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Grounded theory methodology was employed.
• Interviews were conducted with English-speaking Mexican American patients (N = 22).
• Data analysis focused on identifying core categories and developmental stages of trust.

Main Results:

• The core category identified was "Making Me Feel Comfortable."
• A cyclical process of trust development was observed, including stages like 'Having Needs,' 'Relying on the Nurse,' 'Coming Across to Me,' 'Taking Care of Me,' 'Connecting,' and 'Feeling Confianza.'
• Negative interactions during the middle stage halted trust development; positive outcomes included 'Confiding in the Nurse' and 'Taking Away the Negative.'

Conclusions:

• Hispanic cultural values, specifically familism and personalismo, uniquely shape trust development in the nurse-patient relationship.
• Addressing negative elements during care is critical to prevent hindering trust.
• Findings have significant implications for enhancing patient safety and the quality of care, particularly for Hispanic patients.