The role of nursing communication: A critical interpretive synthesis

Aim

The primary aim of this paper is to explore and interpret the role of nursing communication in patient care. The secondary aim is to identify conceptual inconsistencies in the existing literature and synthesize these insights with our previous interpretations to develop a conceptual framework that clarifies the role of nursing communication, thereby providing a nursing-specific foundation for developing communication skills.

Background

The need for effective nursing communication is widely emphasized within the discipline of nursing, and despite the widespread use of that phrase, its role in patient care and the nursing profession remains nebulous. Nursing communication's meaning and value have become more equated with financial indicators than the nurse-patient relationships central to the phenomenon.

Methods

A Critical Interpretive Synthesis approach was used to interpret the role of nursing communication in patient care. Electronic searches of PubMed, EBSCOhost, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Communication & Mass Media Complete, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar were conducted between January 2024 and March 2024. A CIS seven-phase process guided the literature synthesis and formation of a conceptual framework.

Results

Five synthetic constructs clarify the role of nursing communication and contribute to the final conceptual framework: 1) ongoing holistic engagement, 2) humble guide supporting the patient's itinerary, 3) effective information exchange, 4) maintaining nursing individuality within an existing system, and 5) nursing presence.

Conclusion

The role of nursing communication emphasizes maintaining a nursing presence that communicates high-quality physical care and ongoing holistic engagement centered around the patient's values, needs, and wishes. This conceptual framework prioritizes the unique nurse-patient communicatory relationship and gives nurse researchers, policymakers, and educators a new way of thinking about and prioritizing the role of nursing communication.