A communication intervention to support and strengthen nurses’ communication with mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit: A development and feasibility study

2021.10.11 | Graduate School of Health

On Friday 5 November at 14.30, Anna Holm defends her dissertation entitled "A communication intervention to support and strengthen nurses’ communication with mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit: A development and feasibility study".

Patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit and undergo mechanical ventilation are deprived of the possibility to express themselves verbally. Instead, they must communicate via nonverbal signs and other strategies or tools. Patients and nurses find communication challenging and failed communication can result in negative emotions and frustration for them both. The objective of the study was to develop a communication intervention with the overall aim of supporting and strengthening nurses’ communication with mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit; subsequently to evaluate the feasibility and nurses’ acceptability of the intervention. The overall design was the British Medical Research Council’s framework for developing complex interventions in health.

The findings show that the communication intervention was feasible and acceptable. However, the prototype need some adjustment and there has to be a long-term plan for implementation. Furthermore, the findings show that a communication intervention in the intensive care unit not only has to be patient centred, it also has to be nurse centred to be applied in clinical practice. Moreover, because communication is inherent to all human beings, it can be hard to change the nurses’ behaviour concerning communication; professional communication is not just a procedure or skill that can be taught, it has to be built on the nurse’s already existing communication behaviour and approach.

The summary is written by the PhD student.     

The defence is public and takes place in Auditorium B, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200 Aarhus N and via Zoom. Please read full press release for more information. 

Contact:

PhD student Anna Holm

Mail: annasoe6@rm.dk

Phone: (+45) 40778896

Read full press release