title: Giving information to relatives.
abstract: This study was designed to determine how student nurses perceive their role as information givers to relatives of hospital in-patients. There was evidence to suggest that relatives were dissatisfied with the information given to them in respect of the patient's diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. A non-experimental design was used for this study with instruments collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings indicated that student nurses are asked to supply information and also see themselves as having a role in supplying such information. Analysis of qualitative data revealed four categories of response, which were labelled: 'assessing', 'stockphrasing', 'reassuring', and 'referring'. It is contended that relatives' information-needs are only met when nurses use an 'assessing' response and concludes that communication skills must be both taught and assessed during nurse training.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gibbon
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D009732:Nursing Care; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology