The Study on the Communication Barrier for Nurses in Clinical Settings

Chang, Sung Ok; Park, Young Joo

Abstract

This study was designated to investigate communication barriers of nurses in clinical settings. This study was done in 2 phases, first content analysis on descriptions of 50 nurses in three general hospitals and 40 nursing students on communication barriers for nurses in clinical settings, and second a survey to investigate the factors related to communication barriers and the relation between the nurse's characteristics and the extent of communication barriers in clinical settings from two nurses educators, 13 nursing students who experienced clinical practice and 71 nurses in 11 general hospitals. The results are as follows : 1. Through content analysis, 11 properties of communication barriers for nurses in clinical settings were identified. These were inappropriate communication style as a nurse, lack of professionalism, in appropriate control of emotions, lack of knowledge about the clincal setting, the lack of preparation about content of communication, the problem in trust relation, differences in priorities in needs, uncontroleable situation for nurses, inappropriate nurses' perception about patients, conflict with medical team and inadequate systematic support were identified and grouped in to four categories, communicator, message, feedback and communication context. 2. The four factors in communication barriers for nurses in the clinical setting were identified and named as ambiguity in the nurses' position, lack of confidence, difference in perspectives with patients and inadequate nurse -patient relationship. 3. There was a significant difference (F=5.31, P=0.0022, F=3.62, p=0.0316, F=2.80, P=0.067, F=9.01, p=0.0003) among the groups according to work place in rating the extent of the communication barrier in the clinical setting and In the four factors, the nurses working in the psychiatric patient unit rated the communication barrier in the clinical setting lowest among the groups. There was a significant negative correlation between the length of the nurses's carrier and the extent of communication barrier in three factors, ambiguity in the nurses' position, lack of confidence and inadequate nurse-patient relationship.