A conjoint analysis of the communication preferences of registered nurses towards mechanically ventilated patients.

Background: The nurse‐patient communication is a dyadic process involving the transmission and recognition of information and feelings. However, communication difficulty is a common phenomenon among mechanically ventilated patients which causes distress among patients and may compromise the quality of patient care that nurses provide. Aim: To explicate the communication preferences of registered nurses towards mechanically ventilated patients. Design Cross‐sectional, choice‐based conjoint analysis Methods: From August to November 2017, 201 purposively selected registered nurses with prior experience in caring for mechanically ventilated patients were surveyed and ranked 12 choice bundles with four selected attributes of the communication process. Results: Family participation was the most important attribute (40.40%) while communication initiator was the least important attribute (15.44%). Registered nurses prefer to communicate with mechanically ventilated patients if family members are involved (utility = 1.03), if conventional communication equipment are used (utility = 0.24), if open‐ended questions are asked (utility = 0.13), and if nurses are the communication initiator (utility = 0.22). Conclusion: The model of communication preferences highlights the importance of involving the family in the communication process and can inform family‐centered policies for mechanically ventilated patients. Unit policies on the use of conventional communication equipment should be considered to maximize the nurse‐patient communication and potentially improve patient care. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? Nurse‐patient communication is a dyadic process involving the transmission of information and feelings and the recognition of the patient's feelings by registered nurses.Communication difficulty is a common distressing symptom among mechanically ventilated patients.Several studies have explicated the perspectives of mechanically ventilated patients with their communication needs and preferences. What this paper adds? Nurses consider family participation as the most important attribute of nurse‐patient communication, while communication initiator was the least important attribute.Nurses prefer to communicate with mechanically ventilated patients when family members are involved, when conventional equipment is used, when conversations utilize open‐ended questions, and when the nurses themselves initiate the interaction. The implications of this paper The model of communication preferences can be used by nurses and nurse managers in developing effective nurse‐patient communication strategies which can maximize the interaction and ultimately improve patient care.This study highlights the importance of developing family‐centred policies and guidelines for mechanically ventilated patients.Unit policies and procedures using conventional communication equipment can be considered to maximize the communication process between patients and nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]