Communication of nurses with patients is one of the most significant parts of their work since the emotional and mental state of a person is no less important than physical health. Communication between the nurse and the patient’s family is equally important because the anxiety of family members affects their health, interaction with the patient, and their ability to provide support. This knowledge is critical for the ER nurse, who constantly works with relatives of patients requiring urgent help. Consequently, this paper provides a summary of an article by Lukmanulhakim et al. that studies the relationship between the quality of nurses’ communication and the level of anxiety among family members.
The study is practical research of the quality of nurses’ communication, as well as its impact on the state of the patient’s family staying in the emergence room. Lukmanulhakim et al. (2016) selected dr. Dradjat Prawiranegara hospital, where they were able to observe the work of the nurses and the reactions of the family of a patient. The study was divided into two parts, the first of which was aimed at studying various features of nursing communication, and the second part was designed to measure the level of anxiety of the family members. The method of collecting information for the first part was an observation, which was carried out by four enumerators collecting data in an observational sheet. This sheet included various elements such as eye contact, openness, empathy, the use of simple language, and even dress code (Lukmanulhakim et al., 2016). Lukmanulhakim et al. (2016) used questionnaires and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y-1 to measure the level of anxiety. These methods limit the number of participants but are optimal for research purposes.
The results showed that the quality of communication of all nurses was on a high level, although there were some flaws. For example, some nurses did not allow the family to ask (Lukmanulhakim et al., 2016). However, the main conclusion of the article is that the higher quality of nurses’ communication significantly reduces the level of family members’ anxiety, since they have sufficient information and feel the care of the staff about the patient and themselves.
I chose this article because it refers to my professional interests and discusses the issues that I will face during my work. As a future ER nurse, I must know how to communicate with patients’ relatives properly to help them cope with stress and remain a support for the patient. Lukmanulhakim et al. (2016) discuss both professional qualities and aspects of communication that are critical for a nurse, and factors that influence the level of family anxiety. This information needs to be taken into account and is useful to me. Although the results of the study were not unexpected to me, since I know about the significance of communication and support in healthcare, I discovered several new nuances. For example, the authors emphasize the importance of a neat and professional look, maintaining a distance of 30-50 cm from a person during a conversation, as well as the ability of the family to ask questions (Lukmanulhakim et al., 2016). These aspects are logical and understandable after reading the article, but before I did not think about their importance.
In conclusion, the article on the relationship between the quality of communication and the level of family concern is useful knowledge for the ER nurse, who constantly faces similar situations. The authors of the article confirm the importance of communication and also highlight the nuances and skills necessary to improve it. In addition, this study highlights the external factors influencing the family’s response, the understanding of which is essential for the quality work of a nurse.
Reference
Lukmanulhakim, Suryani, & Anna, A. (2016). The relationship between the communication of nurses and level of anxiety of patient’s family in emergency room dr. Dradjat Prawiranegara hospital, Serang Banten, Indonesia. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 4(12), 5456–5462. Web.