Keeping calm on a busy day\u2014an interpersonal skill home care patients desire in health workers: hermeneutical phenomenological method

Siw Watz,Kari Ingstad

doi:10.1186/s12912-022-00825-1

Abstract

BackgroundIn Western countries, many health and social care provisions have been transferred to primary care, and most older patients wish to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. For older patients who live alone, health workers could be their only personal contacts. Hence, health workers’ personal skills affect their relationships with these patients. Accordingly, this study aimed to shed light on the interpersonal skills needed by health workers to establish good relationships with older home care patients and highlight the importance of interpersonal skills training in nursing education.MethodsThis study adopted a hermeneutical phenomenological approach. The qualitative method was used to elicit data on patients’ perspectives. Ten home care patients were interviewed individually in their own homes between December 2019 and January 2020.ResultsDespite individual variations, health workers’ interpersonal skills are of significance with regard to the social well-being of patients living at home. The findings revealed that patients want health workers to be mentally present, congruent in their communications, calm and relaxed during the available time spent with them, and capable of facilitating autonomy.ConclusionsIt is important to present patients’ perspectives to ensure that nursing education is geared towards patients’ best interests.Trial registration numberThe Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD): 953937.

Highlights

In Western countries, many health and social care provisions have been transferred to primary care, and most older patients wish to remain in their own homes for as long as possible
Aim This study explored older home care patients’ perspectives on their relationships with health workers, which gave rise to the following research question: What interpersonal skills do health workers need to establish a good relationship with older home care patients?
We asked the following research question: What interpersonal skills do health workers need to establish a good relationship with older home care patients? A patient-oriented relationship is based on joint participation between health workers and patients [6]

Summary

Introduction

In Western countries, many health and social care provisions have been transferred to primary care, and most older patients wish to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. This study aimed to shed light on the interpersonal skills needed by health workers to establish good relationships with older home care patients and highlight the importance of interpersonal skills training in nursing education. The number of patients transferred to primary care in Western countries has increased. The HCS are multi-professional services, and aim to provide coordinated healthcare for patients in their homes, including practical assistance as well as home care nursing [13]. HCS have increasingly been subject to organisational, structural, and financial guidelines, which means that each patient visit is carefully planned in terms of the care to be provided and the availability of time [15]

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