Challenges and Learning Needs of Nurse-Patients’ Family Communication: Focus Group Interviews With Intensive Care Unit Nurses in South Korea

Abstract

Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are expected to facilitate effective day-to-day communication with patients and family members at the bedside. To date, communication training for ICU health care professionals has targeted mainly intensivists-in-training, but there is limited data on communication experience and needs to be evaluated among ICU nurses. This qualitative study used focus group interviews to explore daily communication experiences with patients’ families and communication training needs and preferences among ICU nurses in South Korea. Five focus group interviews were conducted with 27 ICU nurses (4–6 nurses per group). The results of inductive qualitative content analysis highlighted four main categories: “Perceived difficulties during communication,” “burden from working conditions,” “endeavors to promote communication skills,” and “strategies for cultivating effective communication.” Regarding suggestions for future communication training, nurses preferred interactive learning with peer-support over traditional methods (e.g., lectures). Nurses also suggested that communication training for ICU nurses should include learning skills appropriate for difficult situations (e.g., angry family members). Findings from this study can serve as a framework for stakeholders in ICU care and healthcare education (e.g., hospital and nursing administrators, nurse educators) when designing communication training to support ICU nurses with their practical knowledge and communication skills.

Reducing Undue Burden on Nurses Related to Limited Care Partner Visitation

“…18 Involving nurses in policy development was a suggested strategy that may contribute to nurse well-being during restricted visitation. 2,[16][17][18][19] Healthcare leaders can have an impact on frontline nurses by carefully managing and maintaining institutional policies related to restricted visiting.…”

“…Using technology to facilitate communication can be an effective way to reduce nursing burden during periods of restricted visitation. 7,13,14,16,18,19 In response to COVID-19, telehealth rapidly expanded to meet the communication needs of patients, families, and clinicians. Telephone and video calls allowed for the provision of emotional support between patients and their loved ones in general and when patients experienced anxiety or delirium.…”

“…16,18 Family Support Team or Nurse Liaison Role Several articles in this review described the benefit of a designated family support team (FST) or nurse liaison role to take responsibility for communication with care partners during restricted visitation. 13,14,[18][19][20] Tasks associated with this role include providing structured status updates to a designated care partner on a daily basis, relaying care partner concerns to the care team, and connecting care partners to resources. 14,20 Keen and colleagues 20 evaluated the impact of 1 institution's use of nurse liaisons and found that moral distress and workflow hurdles were reduced on the units where this role was piloted.…”

“…Three of the reviewed articles recommended implementing a dedicated team or champion models designed to meet specific needs. 18,19…”

“…Providing communication skills training to bedside nurses is a recommended strategy to support nurses through the challenges of restricted visitation. 4,7,13,14,[17][18][19] Communication skills training increases nurse resilience and self-confidence, promotes professional satisfaction, and protects against moral distress. 4,7 One study found that clinicians with communication training perceived less of a time strain when dealing with care partners compared with those without.…”