Communication Barrier in Health Care Setting as Perceived by Nurses and Patient

Abstract

Patient satisfaction in high quality of services is depends on the communication between the health care professional and client. How the IPR is build by the health care providers with the clients admitted in the hospital is strongly affects the client's recovery. Keeping this point in mind a Cross sectional, descriptive study was conducted on 50 nurses and 50 patients in two hospitals affiliated to NABH in Pune (Maharashtra) in 2016. Data were collected by using 2 separate questionnaires for nurses and patients. The reliability of the tool was assessed by split half method and validity was assessed by the opinion of experts in the field of nursing. The tool was divided into 3 categories client related factors, nurses related factors and common factors between nurses and client. In both groups of nurses and client (mean scores of 2.45 and 2.18, respectively) and common factors between nurses and patients (mean scores of 1.87 and 1.90, respectively) were considered the most and least significant factors. Also, patient-related (p=0.001), nurse-related (p=0.012), and environmental factors (p=0.019) were found to be most significant. Some barriers were also observed during the study like, language barrier, environmental barrier, cultural barriers, overload of work schedule of nurses etc. which affects the nursing care services. These barriers can be overcome by raising the awareness of nurses and patients along with creating a desirable environment. We recommend that nurses be effectively trained in communication skills and be encouraged by constant monitoring of the obtained skills.