Comparing the Perspectives of Nurses and Patients on the Nurse-Patient Communication Status in Ardabil Educational Centers

Effective communication is one of the most important aspects of nursing, without which it is impossible to perform many nursing duties. The present study aimed to compare the perspectives of nurses and patients on the nurse-patient communication status in the emergency and medical departments of educational-therapeutic centers in Ardabil city.

The present study is a descriptive and analytical study conducted with the participation of 108 nurses and 390 patients from the emergency and medical departments of educational-therapeutic centers in Ardabil city. The sampling method for nurses was census and for patients, convenient sampling was used. To collect data, the demographic information form and the Vukovic (2010) nurse-patient interaction questionnaire were used. Data were analyzed using SPSS-22 software and independent t-test, paired t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

The mean and standard deviation of the nurse-patient communication score from the patient's perspective was 3.96±0.93 and from the nurses' perspective, it was 3.74±0.69. There was a significant difference between the mean nurse-patient communications scores from the nurse and patient perspectives (p<0.05). Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between the patients’ educational level (p<0.001) and nurse gender (p=0.04) and nurse-patient communication status.

According to the results, the nurse-patient communication was in a better state from the patient's perspective in comparison to the nurses’ perspective. However, it is recommended to carry out precise management and organizational interventions and prepare the necessary conditions to improve the therapeutic communication process.