Problems in Critical Care Nurse-Patient Communication: Examples of Poland and Turkey

Abstract

Th e aim of this study was to determine the problems related to nurse-patient communication in the intensive care unit (ICU), with a focus on diff erences between Poland and Turkey. A descriptive survey design was used. Th e study was conducted in Surgical ICU, Lwowska Hospital in Poland and ICU, Training and Research Hospital in Turkey. Fifty critical care nurses in Poland and 52 critical care nurses in Turkey were included in the study. Patient data were collected using a questionnaire that was prepared by the researchers. In this study, 46% and 42.3% of the nurses reported they had communication problems with patients in Poland and Turkey, respectively. It was also found that the nurses in Poland mostly used therapeutic touch for non-verbal communication (80%), whereas the nurses in Turkey used facial expression (90.4%). Critical care nurses in both countries experienced similar diffi culties in patient communication. It is recommended that the patient to nurse ratio in ICUs be planned according to the intensive care standards.

Keywords

• Intensive care units
• Nurse-patient relations
• Communication