title: The relationship between nurse-patient interaction and meaning-in-life in cognitively intact nursing home patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the associations between nurse-patient interaction and meaning-in-life in a nursing home population.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Meaning has been found to be a strong individual predictor of successful ageing and life satisfaction as well as an important psychological variable that promotes well-being. Meaning seems to serve as a mediating variable in both psychological and physical health. Connecting and communicating with others have been seen to facilitate meaning-in-life among older individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were collected in 2008-2009 using the Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale and the Purpose-in-Life test. A total of 250 cognitively intact nursing home patients met the inclusion criteria and 202 (81%) participated. A structural equation model of the hypothesized relationship between nurse-patient interaction and meaning was tested by means of LISREL 8.8.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The structural equation model fit well with the data. A significant direct relationship between nurse-patient interaction and meaning-in-life in cognitively intact nursing home patients was displayed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurse-patient interaction significantly relates to meaning and purpose-in-life among cognitively intact nursing home patients and might be an important resource in relation to the patient's mental health and global well-being. High-quality nurse-patient interaction and in-house activities aiming to increase patients' meaning might increase psychological and physical health, well-being and psycho-spiritual functioning in this vulnerable population.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Research Centre for Health Promotion and Resources, HIST & NTNU, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Gørill
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haugan
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D029181:Spirituality
keywords: meaning and purpose-in-life; nurse-patient interaction; nursing home patients; psycho-spiritual functioning; structural equation modelling; well-being