Elsevier

Australian Critical Care

Volume 12, Issue 4, December 1999, Pages 142-145
Australian Critical Care

Nurse-patient communication in the intensive care unit: a review of the literature

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1036-7314(99)70599-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Patient care within an intensive care unit (ICU) can be a difficult and stressful task for even the most experienced and skilled critical care nurse. Good communication between the patient, relatives and nurse is integral to quality care of the patient and should extend to the entire health-care team. This article reviews the literature on nurse-patient communication in the ICU. While numerous research studies have been completed, they are predominantly qualitative and descriptive. Recent studies have investigated the patients’ perceptions and recollections of the communication that transpired between them and nurses while they were cared for within an ICU.

The literature indicates that nurses communicate extremely poorly with patients, despite a high level of knowledge and skill with respect to communication. Tentative explanations of high stress levels, a preoccupation with physical care and technology, and the attraction to critical care areas of nurses with specific personality types are discussed as possible reasons for this. The need for further research into, and attempts to alleviate, this problem is clearly demonstrated.

References (30)

  • P. Ashworth

    Communication in an intensive care unit

  • J. Salyer et al.

    Nurse patient interaction in the intensive care unit

    Heart & Lung

    (1985)
  • A. Nievaard

    Communication, climate and patient care – causes and effects of nurses’ attitude to patients

    Soc Sci & Med

    (1987)
  • P. Ashworth

    Care to Communicate

    (1980)
  • C. Baker et al.

    An investigation into the attitudes and practice of intensive care nurses towards verbal communication with unconscious patients

    J Clin Nurs

    (1996)
  • Cited by (36)

    • Ensuring relational competency in critical care: Importance of nursing students’ communication skills

      2018, Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
      Citation Excerpt :

      Among other reasons, such an environment is usually highly technological, the care received by the patients is complex and they are isolated from their families. Therefore, all care activities are solely focused on keeping the patient alive, relegating emotional or non-technical aspects to the background (Leal et al., 2010; Llenore and Ogle, 1999; Llubiá, 2008). However, ignoring the emotional state of the patient could be detrimental to their health and recovery and thus, attempts should be made to humanise the critical care unit to make it as comfortable as possible for patients and their families (Aslakson et al., 2014; Llenore and Ogle, 1999; Santana et al., 2009).

    • Delirium prevention in critically ill adults through an automated reorientation intervention – A pilot randomized controlled trial

      2017, Heart and Lung: Journal of Acute and Critical Care
      Citation Excerpt :

      Reorientation may enhance patients' feelings of security and comfort, allow them to more accurately interpret these stimuli, and ultimately reduce delirium. However, communication with sedated or non-responsive critically ill patients is often not optimal24–26 and is often considered to be a low priority in the ICU setting.27 A review of nurse-patient communication in the ICU found that nurses communicate poorly with patients, despite a high level of knowledge and skill with respect to communication.

    • Patients' interactions in an intensive care unit and their memories of intensive care: A mixed method study

      2013, Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
      Citation Excerpt :

      Mechanically ventilated patients particularly experience many barriers to communicating their needs. Patients have reported that their inability to communicate results in unrecognised pain, feelings of loss of control and depersonalisation, anxiety, fear, distress and frustration, and have identified difficulty in communication as their principal problem while intubated (Menzel, 1998; Llenore and Ogle, 1999; Russell, 1999; Wojnicki-Johansson, 2001; Lilly et al., 2003; Patak et al., 2004; Magnus and Turlington, 2006). According to Russell (1999), the lack of ability to communicate with care providers during periods of mechanical ventilation not only causes anxiety but also contributes to less than optimal recovery after discharge.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text