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BACKGROUND:: Today, cancer care and treatment primarily take place in an outpatient setting where encounters between patients and healthcare professionals are often brief. OBJECTIVE:: The aim of this study was to summarize the literature of adult patients’ experiences of and need for relationships and communication with healthcare professionals during chemotherapy in the oncology outpatient setting. METHODS:: The systematic literature review was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines and the PICO framework, and a systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, and Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Practice Database. RESULTS:: Nine studies were included, qualitative (n = 5) and quantitative (n = 4). The studies identified that the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals was important for the patients’ ability to cope with cancer and has an impact on satisfaction of care, that hope and positivity are both a need and a strategy for patients with cancer and were facilitated by healthcare professionals, and that outpatient clinic visits framed and influenced communication and relationships. CONCLUSIONS:: The relationship and communication between patients and healthcare professionals in the outpatient setting were important for the patients’ ability to cope with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:: Healthcare professionals need to pay special attention to the relational aspects of communication in an outpatient clinic because encounters are often brief. More research is needed to investigate the type of interaction and intervention that would be the most effective in supporting adult patients’ coping during chemotherapy in an outpatient clinic.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

The Missed Nursing Care (MNC) refers to nursing interventions that are not completed, partially completed, or postponed. Despite the relevance of MNC, no assessment tools are available in the Italian context, and no data regarding the occurrence of this phenomenon has been documented on a large scale to date.The study aims were: (1) to validate the Italian version of the MISSCARE Survey tool; (2) to measure the prevalence of missed interventions and reasons for missed care as perceived by clinical nurses working in Italian health care settings.After having conducted the forward and backward translation, pre-pilot and pilot phases were developed to ensure face and content validity as well as semantic and conceptual equivalence of the Italian version with the original version. The MISSCARE survey questionnaire was then distributed to 1,233 clinical nurses of whom 1,003 completed the questionnaire. Overall, 979 questionnaires were analysed. The questionnaires were completed from January to March 2012, by nurses working in medical and surgical hospital departments in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. Construct validity and internal consistency of the instrument were assessed.The face and content validity were ascertained by a group of experts. The instrument acceptability was good given that 79.4% of respondents replied to all items. Construct validity was investigated by an Exploratory Factor Analysis. Four factors explaining 64.18% of variance emerged: communication, lack of facilities/supplies, lack of staff, and unexpected events. Internal consistency, evaluated with Cronbach a, was 0.94. The nursing interventions omitted with greater frequency were, in order: ambulation (74.8%), passive mobilization (69.6%) and oral care (51.3%). The three main reasons for missed interventions were: an unexpected increase in the number of patients (90.5%), increased instability of the clinical condition (86.1%) and insufficient human resources (85.5%).The Italian version of the MISSCARE Survey was shown to have good psychometric properties. Therefore, it can be used to evaluate the missed nursing care phenomenon in Italy and will allow for international comparisons.

Purpose The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of oncology nurses in patient counseling and support services in the ambulatory care setting. Methods and sample A qualitative study was conducted using grounded theory methods. Data were generated through four focus group interviews with 21 oncology nurses currently providing counseling and support services for cancer patients in Japan. The content was analyzed based on a constant comparison approach. Results The power of nursing was identified through three themes: connecting with the patient (shared needs); personalized coordination (shared action); and realizing the patient's potential (reassurance). Oncology nurses should guide patients through the uncertain cancer trajectory by identifying patients' true needs based on an established relationship, providing personalized coordination, and developing their potential. Patient-centered care can be provided in non-physical care settings such as counseling and support services. Conclusions Our study describes the uniqueness and significance of nursing, and provides insights into realizing the full potential of nurses. This conceptual model can be used as a guide for practice and an educational tool to build professional identity of nurses. Oncology nurses can take a leadership role in enhancing the visibility of the nurses in multidisciplinary environments.

Bakgrund: Psykisk ohälsa och sjukdom är vanligt förekommande i Sverige, tidigare studier har visat att personer med psykisk ohälsa eller sjukdom löper större risk att drabbas av somatiska sjukdomar jämfört med den generella populationen. Det förekommer att dessa patienter upplever stigmatisering i så väl samhället i stort som inom hälso- och sjukvården, vilket kan medföra risk för bristfällig omvårdnad av denna patientgrupp inom den somatiska vården. Syfte: Syftet var att utforska verksamma och blivande sjuksköterskors attityder gentemot patienter med psykisk ohälsa och sjukdom inom den somatiska vården. Metod: Elva vetenskapliga studier inkluderades i en litteraturstudie inom det valda forskningsområdet. Databaserna PubMed, CINAHL och PsycInfo användes för datainsamling. Samtliga artiklar kvalitetsgranskades och besvarade frågeställning och syfte. Resultat: Resultatanalysen resulterade i tre kategorier som beskriver attityder till psykisk ohälsa bland sjuksköterskor och blivande sjuksköterskor. Dessa kategorier är; Positiv attityd, Negativ attityd och Undvikande attityd. Erfarenhet, utbildning och kunskap är några av de viktigaste faktorerna som visat sig ha en inverkan på attityden till att vårda patienter med psykisk ohälsa. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor och sjuksköterskestuderande har varierande attityder till att vårda patienter med psykisk ohälsa och sjukdom inom somatisk vård. Bristande kunskap och erfarenhet av psykisk ohälsa kan bidra till stigmatiserande och avståndstagande attityder, vilket kan leda till att patienten inte alltid får en optimal och likvärdig vård. Kunskap om dessa attityder kan bidra till att utveckla omvårdnaden för personer med psykisk sjukdom inom somatisk vård. Background: Mental illness is common in Sweden, previous studies demonstrate that people with mental illness have an increased risk of physical illness compared to the general population. These patients often experience stigmatization generally in society, as well as within health care, which can result in a deficient care of these patients in the somatic care. Purpose: The aim of the study was to explore registered nurses and nursing students’ attitudes towards patients with mental illness in somatic care. Method: Ten scientific studies were included in a literature study of the chosen research field. The databases PubMed, CINAHL and PsycInfo was used for data collection. All the articles reviewed for quality and answered the purpose. Findings: The analysis resulted in three categories that describe attitudes to mental illness among nurses and nursing students. These categories are; Positive attitude, Negative attitude and Avoiding attitude. Experience, education and knowledge are some of the factors that can have an impact on the attitude towards caring for patients with mental illness. Conclusion: Nurses and nursing students express varying attitudes towards caring for patients with mental illness treated in somatic hospital settings. Lack of knowledge and experience of mental illness can result in stigmatization and rejection attitudes towards the patient, as well as an unequal care. Increased awareness about such attitudes can contribute to developing nursing care for these patients.

Bakgrund: Enligt svensk lagstiftning har patienten en laglig rätt att vara delaktig i sin vård. Detta betyder också att sjuksköterskan har en skyldighet gentemot patienten att göra hen delaktig. Trots denna rättighet upplever patienter att de ibland inte ges möjlighet till att vara delaktiga. Syfte: Syftet med den här studien är att beskriva patientdelaktighet och sjuksköterskans möjlighet att främja respektive hindra patientens upplevelse av delaktighet. Metod: Studien är en litteraturöversikt vars resultat är baserat på tio vetenskapliga artiklar som publicerats mellan åren 2005-2016. Resultat: Patienten anser att det är viktigt att sjuksköterskan ger möjlighet för patienten att uttrycka sig och tilldelas information om vårdsituationen. Genom detta gavs patienten möjlighet till att vara delaktig. Patienten vill bli sedd och hörd samt ses som en jämlik partner i vården. För detta behövs en etablerad relation mellan sjuksköterska och patient. Konklusion: Studier visar att patienten upplever att det finns hinder för att upprätthålla patientdelaktighet samt att sjuksköterskans förhållningssätt har betydelse för patientens upplevelse av delaktighet. Background: According to Swedish law, patients have a legal right to be involved in their care. This also means that the nurse has a obligation towards the patient to make her/him involved. Despite this right, patients feels that they are not given the opportunity to be involved in their care. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe patient participation and nurses opportunity to promote and prevent the patient’s experience of participation. Method: The study is a literature review whose results are based on ten scientific articles published between the years 2005-2016. Results: The patient believes it is important that the nurse give the opportunity towards the patient to express themselves and be informed about the care situation. Through this the patient was given the opportunity to be involved. Patients want to be seen and heard, and seen as an equal partner in care. This requires an established relationship between nurse and patient. Conclusion: Studies show that patients find that there are obstacles to maintain patient participation and that the nurse’s approach is relevant to the patient’s experience of participation.

Background Neonatal units’ volume of activity, and other quantitative and qualitative variables, such as staffing, workload, work environment, care organization and geographical location, may influence the outcome of high risk newborns. Data about the distribution of these variables and their relationships among Italian neonatal units are lacking. Methods Between March 2010-April 2011, 63 neonatal intensive care units adhering to the Italian Neonatal Network participated in the SONAR Nurse study. Their main features and work environment were investigated by questionnaires compiled by the chief and by physicians and nurses of each unit. Twelve cross-sectional monthly-repeated surveys on different shifts were performed, collecting data on number of nurses on duty and number and acuity of hospitalized infants. Results Six hundred forty five physicians and 1601 nurses compiled the questionnaires. In the cross-sectional surveys 702 reports were collected, with 11082 infant and 3226 nurse data points. A high variability was found for units’ size (4–50 total beds), daily number of patients (median 14.5, range 3.4-48.7), number of nurses per shift (median 4.2, range 0.7-10.8) and number of team meetings per month. Northern regions performed better than Central and Southern regions for frequency of training meetings, qualitative assessment of performance, motivation within the unit and nursing work environment; mean physicians’ and nurses’ age increased moving from North to South. After stratification by terciles of the mean daily number of patients, the median number of nurses per shift increased at increasing volume of activity, while the opposite was found for the nurse-to-patient ratio adjusted by patients’ acuity. On average, in units belonging to the lower tercile there was 1 nurse every 2.5 patients, while in those belonging to the higher tercile the ratio was 1 nurse every 5 patients. Conclusions In Italy, there is a high variability in organizational characteristics and work environment among neonatal units and an uneven distribution of human resources in relation to volume of activity, suggesting that the larger the unit the greater the workload for each nurse. Urgent modifications in planning and organization of services are needed in order to pursue more efficient, homogeneous and integrated regionalized neonatal care systems.

Resumen Antecedentes. La comunicación enfermera-paciente es fundamental para la aplicación de los cuidados en salud. El presente estudio aborda la percepción de pacientes sobre la comunicación verbal y no verbal con sus enfermeras. Entre los instrumentos para su evaluación destaca la Herramienta para la Evaluación del Cuidado (CAT por sus siglas en inglés), pero diferencias culturales y educativas de la población mexicana limitan su aplicabilidad en nuestro contexto. Objetivo. Diseñar y validar un instrumento sobre la percepción de los pacientes sobre el comportamiento de comunicación de enfermeras (denominado CECOP), en función de lo que observan pacientes mexicanos. Método. Con base en una entrevista exploratoria a 29 pacientes, se diseñó el CECOP con 25 reactivos, se estableció validez de contenido con jueces expertos (eliminando dos reactivos) y se aplicó a 150 pacientes. Se empleó análisis factorial con método de extracción de análisis de componentes principales y rotación Varimax. Se estableció la validez convergente entre el CECOP y el CAT y entre el CECOP y escalas numéricas que valoraron comprensión empática y satisfacción del paciente. Resultados. La validez de constructo lo redujo a diez reactivos en dos factores (empatía y respeto); con Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) y prueba de Bartlett estadísticamente significativas (p≤.001). La varianza explicada fue de 54.58%. La correlación entre los puntajes totales del CECOP (10 reactivos) y el CAT fue .459, el CECOP y la escala de comprensión fue .419; el CECOP y la escala de satisfacción, .495; todas, estadísticamente significativas (p≤.001). Discusión y conclusión. El CECOP permite evaluar los cuidados profesionales en su dimensión humana, desde la percepción de los pacientes, y sugerir propuestas para mejorar la comunicación de las enfermeras.

The work objectifies to analyze FONSECA’S empiric study (1996) on Relationship person’s concept based on Joyce Travelbee’s Interacionalistic Theory (1979) and the model of theory evaluation according to Barnum (1998), Besides looking for to approach philosophical existentialists premises of Heidegger (1993) that illuminates a critical analysis on the applicability of Nursing theory in the professional practice.

Bakgrund: Personer med demenssjukdom känner ofta ett utanförskap på grund av svårigheter att kommunicera. Vårdare som möter dessa personer har en viktig roll i att stödja välbefinnande, livskvalitet och möjlighet att delta i den dagliga omvårdnaden. Om kommunikationen och bemötandet inte anpassas efter den demenssjukes förmåga och han/hon inte ses som unik individ kan det leda till att personens kapacitet minskar. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva hur vårdpersonal genom kommunikation och bemötande kan skapa förutsättningar för personer med demenssjukdom att delta i sin dagliga omvårdnad. Metod: Litteraturstudie baserad på 12 artiklar. Resultat: Det framkom att vårdare genom att kommunicera och bemöta med närvaro i mötet och förmedla glädje, kunde skapa förutsättningar för personer med demenssjukdom att delta i omvårdnaden. Att närvara i mötet innebar att vara lyhörd, tydlig och bekräfta personen. Bekräftelsen kunde ske genom att visa intresse, respekt, förtroende, stödja minnet och sträva efter jämställdhet och gemenskap. Diskussion: Det viktigaste fyndet var betydelsen av att bekräfta personen med demenssjukdom vilket får stöd i teorin bakom personcentrerad vård och bekräftande omvårdnad. Det finns behov av fortsatt forskning och utveckling av klinisk verksamhet relaterat till kommunikation och bemötande av personer med demenssjukdom., Background: People with dementia often feel alienated because of difficulties in communicating. Caregivers who meet these persons have an important role in supporting wellbeing, quality of life and the possibility to participate in daily care. If communication and treatment is not adapted to the person with dementia and he or she is not seen as unique individual, it can lead to reduction of the person’s capacity. Aim: The aim was to describe how caregivers through communication and treatment can create conditions for persons with dementia to participate in their daily care. Method: Literature review based on 12 articles. Result: It was revealed that caregivers by communicating and responding with presence in the meeting and conveying joy could create conditions for persons with dementia to participate in their own care. Presence in the meeting was to be responsive, distinct and confirm the person. The confirmation could be done by showing interest, respect, trust, support memory and promote equality and community. Discussion: The most important finding was the importance of confirmation, which is supported by the theory behind person-centred care and confirming nursing. There is need for continued research and development of clinical practice about communication and treatment of persons with dementia.

För att ge föräldrarna i den svenska barnhälsovården ett bra och individuellt stöd är det viktigt att det skapas en god vårdrelation mellan föräldrar och sjuksköterska. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa de faktorer som är betydelsefulla för vårdrelationen mellan föräldrar och sjuksköterska i barnhälsovården i Sverige. Studien genomfördes som en litteraturstudie. Nio vetenskapliga kvantitativa och kvalitativa artiklar granskades avseende vetenskaplig kvalité och analyserades därefter. I resultatet framkom fyra kategorier av faktorer som påverkar vårdrelationen mellan föräldrar och sjuksköterska i barnhälsovården. Dessa benämndes mötet, förväntningar, stöd och riskfaktorer. Genom ett empatiskt bemötande där faktorer som kontinuitet, valfrihet, tillräckligt med tid, regelbundna möten och hembesök ges utrymme och med kännedom om de riskfaktorer som framkommit, bör arbetet som sjuksköterska i barnhälsovården underlättas. Litteraturstudien visar att arbetet som sjuksköterska i barnhälsovården kräver stor kompetens och kunskap då det i dagens barnhälsovård läggs stor vikt på att arbeta med familjen som en helhet. För att belysa vårdrelationens betydelse för barnhälsovården behövs vidare forskning om vårdrelationens påverkan och betydelse föräldrarnas val av barnhälsovårdsenhet enligt dagens vårdvalssystem.

The purpose of this review is to describe the use and definitions of the concepts of nurse-patient interaction and nurse-patient communication in nursing literature. Furthermore, empirical findings of nurse-patient communication research will be presented, and applied theories will be shown. An integrative literature search was executed. The total number of relevant citations found was 97. The search results were reviewed, and key points were extracted in a standardized form. Extracts were then qualitatively summarized according to relevant aspects and categories for the review. The relation of interaction and communication is not clearly defined in nursing literature. Often the terms are used interchangeably or synonymously, and a clear theoretical definition is avoided or rather implicit. Symbolic interactionism and classic sender-receiver models were by far the most referred to models. Compared to the use of theories of adjacent sciences, the use of original nursing theories related to communication is rather infrequent. The articles that try to clarify the relation of both concepts see communication as a special or subtype of interaction. The main intention of communication and interaction in the health setting is to influence the patient’s health status or state of well-being. Identified important structural factors of communication were: role allocation, different use of language and registers, and the nursing setting. The process of communication is often described with a phase model; communication often happens during other interventions and tasks. In general, influencing factors can be organized into the categories of provider variables, patient variables, environmental and situational variables. The included citations all conclude that communication skills can be learned to a certain degree. Involvement of patients and their role in communication often is neglected by authors. Considering the mutual nature of communication, patients’ share in conversation should be taken more into consideration than it has been until now. Nursing science has to integrate its own theories of nursing care with theories of communication and interaction from other scientific disciplines like sociology.

En stor del av anmälningarna som kommer till patientnämnden handlar om dåligt bemötande. Patienter som söker vård ska inte känna sig underlägsna eller otrygga på grund av vårdpersonalens bemötande. Ett professionellt vårdande bemötande kan skänka kraft och öka välbefinnandet hos patienten. Ett ökat välbefinnande kan reducera känslan av ohälsa hos patienten. Den patientgrupp studien fokuserar på är de patienter som kommer till akutmottagningen med en icke-brådskande diagnos. De upplever ofta en lägre nivå på bemötandet än patienter med mer brådskande diagnoser. Syftet med studien var att belysa vad som är viktigt för patienten i bemötandet från sjuksköterskan på en akutmottagning. Litteratursökning gjordes i databaser. Med en litteraturstudie på vetenskapliga artiklar gjordes en analys där patienters likheter och skillnader i upplevelsen av bemötandet söktes. Författarna fick fram tolv teman presenterade som förutsättningar och svårigheter för att patienten ska uppleva att den får ett tillfredställande bemötande. Resultatet visar att de patienter som upplevde att sjuksköterskan tog sig tid, gav dem information, bemötte dem med respekt och som individer, får kraft att bemästra den situation de befinner sig i. Att som sjuksköterska förstå hur patienten upplever bemötande är av vikt. Ett bra bemötande från sjuksköterskan kan göra att patienten känner ett ökat välbefinnande och närvaro av hälsa. Detta är en förutsättning för ett snabbare tillfrisknade hos patienten. A great deal of the reports which arrives to the patient´s committee is about bad encounters. Patients who seek care at an emergency department should not feel inferior or unsafe because of a bad encounter from the nursing staff. A professional and caring encounter will give power and raise the wellbeing within the patient and that must be offered to the patient. A raised feeling of wellbeing might reduce the sense of bad health. The group of patients this study focuses on is the patients which arrive to the emergency department with a non urgent diagnosis. They often experience a lower rate of good encounters than the patients with an urgent diagnosis. The aim of this study was to highlight what´s important for the patient in the nurse-patient encounter in an emergency department. The search for literature was done in databases. A literaturereview was made from articles and an analysis was made where patient’s similarities and differences in the experience of the encounter sought out. The authors found twelve themes presented in possibilities and difficulties so that the patient will experience that the encounter I satisfying. The result shows that if the nurse’s take some time for the patient and gives them information, treats them as individuals and with respect, the patient feel empowerment to handle the situation. It is of importance for the nurse to understand how the patient experiences the encounter. A good encounter from the nurse can make the patient feel a raised wellbeing and a presence of health. This is a possibility for the patient to gain a feeling of better health.

Men’s violence against women is a universal issue affecting health, human rights and gender-equality. In pregnancy, violence is a risk for both the mother and her unborn child. The overall aims were: to determine the prevalence of such violence in a Swedish pregnant population, to investigate pregnant women’s attitudes to questioning about exposure to violence, and to evaluate experience gained by antenatal care midwives having routinely questioned pregnant women regarding violence. All women registered for antenatal care in Uppsala, Sweden, during 6 months were assessed regarding acts of violence. The Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) was used twice during pregnancy and again after delivery when the women were asked an open-ended written question regarding attitudes to questioning about violence. Midwives’ experiences regarding routine assessment were evaluated in focus group discussions. The AAS questions were answered by 93% (1,038) of those eligible. Physical abuse by a partner or relative during or shortly after pregnancy was reported by 1.3%, and by 2.8% when the year preceding pregnancy was included. Lifetime sexual abuse was reported by 8.1%. Repeated questioning increased the abuse detection rate. Abused women reported more previous ill-health, and women physically abused during pregnancy more pregnancy terminations than did non-abused women. Abuse assessment was found entirely acceptable by 80%, both acceptable and unacceptable/disagreeable by 5% and solely unacceptable/ disagreeable by 3%, while 12% were neural. Abused and non-abused women did not differ regarding disinclination to answer the abuse questions. According to the midwives the delicacy of the subject and the male partners’ presence were the most prominent remaining obstacles to routine determination of violence. Routines are required to make questioning about violence an integral part of antenatal care. This would necessitate a private appointment for the woman, knowledge among care providers about the nature of men’s violence, and awareness of referral options.

Men’s violence against women is a universal issue affecting health, human rights and gender-equality. In pregnancy, violence is a risk for both the mother and her unborn child. The overall aims were: to determine the prevalence of such violence in a Swedish pregnant population, to investigate pregnant women’s attitudes to questioning about exposure to violence, and to evaluate experience gained by antenatal care midwives having routinely questioned pregnant women regarding violence. All women registered for antenatal care in Uppsala, Sweden, during 6 months were assessed regarding acts of violence. The Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) was used twice during pregnancy and again after delivery when the women were asked an open-ended written question regarding attitudes to questioning about violence. Midwives’ experiences regarding routine assessment were evaluated in focus group discussions. The AAS questions were answered by 93% (1,038) of those eligible. Physical abuse by a partner or relative during or shortly after pregnancy was reported by 1.3%, and by 2.8% when the year preceding pregnancy was included. Lifetime sexual abuse was reported by 8.1%. Repeated questioning increased the abuse detection rate. Abused women reported more previous ill-health, and women physically abused during pregnancy more pregnancy terminations than did non-abused women. Abuse assessment was found entirely acceptable by 80%, both acceptable and unacceptable/disagreeable by 5% and solely unacceptable/ disagreeable by 3%, while 12% were neural. Abused and non-abused women did not differ regarding disinclination to answer the abuse questions. According to the midwives the delicacy of the subject and the male partners’ presence were the most prominent remaining obstacles to routine determination of violence. Routines are required to make questioning about violence an integral part of antenatal care. This would necessitate a private appointment for the woman, knowledge among care providers about the nature of men’s violence, and awareness of referral options.

It is a descriptive qualitative study. Which objectifies the identification of doctors and nurses from a pediatric public hospital perceptions about the importance of patient access to information based on the legal code Patient’s rights. About their information right, but the professionals need to know and understand the critic autonomy of their patients or patient’s guadians. Playing both the informant and the educator role for a more humanized and democratic health care.

ResumenIntroducciónLas relaciones interpersonales que realizan las enfermeras al brindar cuidado a sus pacientes se sustentan en la comunicación; la incorporación de programas en habilidades para la comunicación coadyuva en la mejora de la calidad de atención.ObjetivoComparar la autoevaluación de un grupo de enfermeras respecto a la comunicación con sus pacientes como resultado de un programa de entrenamiento en habilidades sociales.MétodosEstudio descriptivo comparativo. Se aplicó el ACEP (Autoevaluación de la forma de Comunicación de las Enfermeras con los Pacientes) a 14 enfermeras de una institución pública de tercer nivel, antes y después de un entrenamiento en habilidades de comunicación. El ACEP evalúa comportamientos verbales y no verbales sobre empatía (8 reactivos) y respeto (2 reactivos); la escala de medición oscila entre 1 y 5, a mayor puntuación mejor comunicación. Se analizaron datos con las siguientes pruebas estadísticas: Wilcoxon para comparar pre y postentrenamiento; t de Student y Fisher para comparación de grupos por edad, antigüedad laboral y escolaridad.ResultadosEl puntaje global inicial fue de 33 a 45 y el posterior de 41 a 50, con p = 0.004. Se observó diferencia entre la pre y la postautoevaluación de los comportamientos: uso palabras de ánimo para motivarlos (p = 0.016) y «los apapachó» para animarlos (p = 0.014). No hubo diferencia entre los grupos por edad, antigüedad laboral y escolaridad.ConclusionesDesde la primera autoevaluación se observaron puntajes altos, pero el promedio de la postevaluación superó la primera cifra. Hubo cambios favorables, aunque no todos fueron estadísticamente significativos.AbstractIntroductionNurses’ interpersonal relations with their patients are based on communication; the introduction of training programs on communication skills can encourage nurses to improve their quality of care.ObjectiveTo compare a group of nurses’ self-assessment on their communication with patients before and after having taken a social skills training program.MethodsThe study design was descriptive and comparative. The ACEP (Self-assessment on the nurses’ form of communication with their patients) was given to 14 nurses from a third level public institution, before and then after these nurses took a specific training on communication skills. The ACEP assesses verbal and non-verbal behaviors related to empathy (8 items) and respect (2 items). The scale goes from 1 to 5, and the higher the score, the better the communication skills. Data were analyzed through these statistical tests: Wilcoxon to compare scores pre and post training, student's t, and Fisher to compare groups by age, work history, and educational level.ResultsThe pre training global scores went from 33 to 45 while the post training ones went from to 41 to 50 (p=.004). A difference was observed between the pre and post training behavior assessment in the items «the nurse used words of encouragement to motivate patients» (p=.016), and «the nurse embraced the patients to motivate them» (p=.014). There were no differences among groups by age, work history, or educational level.ConclusionsThe ACEP scores were higher after the communication skills training program, however not all specific changes were statistically significant.

Blood pressure was monitored by a continuous intra-arterial recording in 46 subjects to investigate whether the alarm reaction and the blood pressure and heart rate increases that occur during cuff blood pressure measurement made by a physician 1) attenuate when the physician's visit is repeated several times and 2) are less pronounced if a nurse measures the blood pressure. In 16 subjects the peak mean blood pressure and heart rate rises that occurred in the early part of the physician's first visit (22.6 +/- 1.8 mm Hg and 17.7 +/- 1.7 beats/min) were virtually identical to those occurring during three subsequent visits by the same physician throughout a 2-day intra-arterial blood pressure monitoring. The less pronounced pressor and tachycardic responses observed in the last part of the physician's visit also were virtually identical among the four visits. In contrast, in 30 other subjects the blood pressure and heart rate rises that occurred during the nurse's visit were 46.7% and 42.1% less (p less than 0.01) than those occurring during the physician's visit. The late and less pronounced pressor and tachycardic responses to the visit were also significantly less (p less than 0.01) in the former than in the latter condition. These results indicate that the error of overestimation of blood pressure inherent in cuff blood pressure measurement by a physician cannot be avoided by repeated visits by the physician over a short time span. It clearly can be reduced, however, if blood pressure measurements are performed by a nurse.