IDENTIFY THE COMMUNICATION BARRIER AMONG NURSE-PATIENT IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS IN PESHAWAR

Abstract

Introduction: Effective communication between nurses and patients is crucial for high-quality healthcare, reducing patient distress, and preventing negative outcomes. Poor communication leads to significant negative consequences in healthcare settings, such as misdiagnosis, patient dissatisfaction, and increased risk of work-related violence. Addressing communication barriers is essential to improve patient care, foster positive nurse-patient relationships, and ensure patient safety.

Methodology: This chapter describes the methodology used to identify barriers to nurse-patient communication in tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar, including study design, setting, duration, sample size, sampling technique, and data analysis. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted across three government hospitals, with a sample size of 313 nurses selected using simple random sampling. Data was collected using a validated questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS, ensuring ethical considerations such as informed consent and participant confidentiality.

Result: The results of a study on nurse-patient communication barriers in a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar. Key barriers include nursing shortages, overworking, inadequate communication skills, and medical knowledge, while age, gender, and cultural differences are seen as minor or neutral issues. Factors like patient participation in treatment plans, work-related violence, and nurses' relationships with other healthcare providers also influence communication effectiveness.

Conclusion: this investigation identified several factors affecting nurse-patient communication at a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar. Minor obstacles related to age and gender differences were mitigated by professional conduct and cultural competence training. However, significant barriers were due to insufficient nursing knowledge and communication skills, heavy workloads, and limited time, highlighting the need for better training, staffing, and resource management.