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	Grazina Wojnicki-Johansson Intensivvårdssjuksköterska,  MSc in Nursing and Health Sciences   Kvalitetskoordinator Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset 413 45 Göteborg E-post adress: Grazina.wojnicki-johansson@vgregion.se

Abstract

Communication between nurse and patient in ventilator treatment: Patient reports and RN evaluations

Background 
The intensive care treatment of patients in ventilators is currently performed with the aim of having the patient non-sedated when ever feasible. To be aware, but unable to communicate is a novel experience for patients and produce problems in nursing. A review of the literature shows that few studies have focused on this significant issue in intensive care nursing.

Aim 
To study patient experiences of communication problems during ventilator treatment.

Subjects and Methods
Twenty-two consecutive patients treated in an ICU were interviewed three times over a 2-month period about their experiences of being prevented in normal communication due to ventilator treatment. Structured questionnaires, including openended questions were used at each occasion. The RN in charge for each patient evaluated the extent of communication during the ventilator treatment in a nurse protocol.

Results
Thirteen of the twenty-two patients reported that the RNs were able to understand needs and wishes during the ventilator treatment. The RNs, however, reported a functional communication in nineteen patients. A functional communication was typically related to the use of effective communication methods, while a lack of communication was associated with compromised medical status of the patients.

Discussion
The results suggest a detailed examination of the patients potential for effective communication, an evaluation of the communications skills among the RNs, and of devices that can help facilitate communication between RNs and patients in ventilator treatment

Key words – Intensive care, critical care, communication, ventilator treatment, communication methods

Wojnicki-Johansson, G. (2001) Communication between nurse and patient in ventilator treatment: Patients reports and RN evaluations. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing. 17. pp 29-39.

Nursing Informatics an International Overview for Nursing in Technological Era. Proceedings of the Fifth IMIA International conference of nursing use of computers and information science, San Antonio, Texas, USA, June 17-22, 1994 - Attitudes to and experiences of intensive care technology: A study on nurses in Sweden. Tillsammans med Ingegerd Bergbom.

uppdaterad 2010-02-12