Adult Patient Perceptions of Nurse Listening Behaviors in an Ambulatory Surgery Setting.

Purpose: This study aimed to fill the knowledge gap by seeking the individual patient's perception regarding nurse listening behaviors. Our research question was: what behaviors do adult day surgery patients believe conveyed nurse listening during a recent day surgery experience?

Design: A qualitative design was used for this study.

Methods: A stratified convenience sample of 20 English-speaking adult patients was interviewed about their experiences. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed manually using thematic analysis.

Findings: The analysis resulted in two themes. The first "Interplay of Caring Communication" was characterized by behaviors of nonverbal communication during the patient and nurse interaction, including observations of eye-to-eye contact, looking at the patient's face and the nurse's body language and facial expressions. Verbal communication behaviors occurred when nurses adapted or modified their teaching to meet patients' learning needs. Patients perceived nurses' oral communication styles as listening behaviors when they engaged in conversation by facilitating the dialog, asking and answering questions, and documenting the answers. The second theme "Realization of Feeling Understood" was characterized by descriptions of awareness of feelings and emotions, including patient experienced feelings and nurses acknowledging patient's emotions. Furthermore, insights into the experience of being heard emerged that were composed of the experience of patient care, the perception that everybody listens, they paid attention, acknowledged and respected the patient's wishes for care decisions.

Conclusions: Patient perceptions of nurse listening are not limited to verbal exchanges between the patient and nurse but are also shaped by observations of nonverbal behaviors and the actions of nurses. These specific behaviors are important to patients, affecting their perception that "my nurse is listening to me." Incorporated into daily practice, these behaviors can make patients feel they are being heard.