Perception of Nurses and Physicians towards Barriers to Nurse-Physician Communication and its Impact on patients ‘outcomes at Hawassa Referral and Teaching Hospital, SNNPRS, Ethiopia
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Date
2011-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Effective communication between nurses and physicians is essential in providing safe and effective care. Even if high-quality patient care is the goal of medicine and nursing, patients are dying and experiencing preventable complications because of poor nurse physician relationship.
Objectives: The main objective of this study was to assess perception of nurses & physicians towards barriers to nurse-physician communication and its impact on patients’ outcome at Hawassa referral and teaching hospital.
Methodology: An institution based cross sectional study was carried out. All
nurses and physicians who were working at Hawassa referral and teaching hospital during the data collection time and willing to participate in the study were participated in the study. Data was collected using a self administered
questionnaire while data analysis was done using SPSS version 15. To explain the study population in relation to relevant variables, frequencies, and percents were
calculated. Pearson correlation tests were run to test degree and direction of
relationship between factors that affect nurse-physician communication and patient outcomes. Ethical approval and clearances were obtained from department of nursing and midwifery institutional review board, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University.
Results: All identified factors have been found to have effect on nurse-physician communication with different degrees of impact. The three leading factors with priority of effect as perceived by nurses were unfavorable management decision perceived by 88 (77.2%) nurses, information gap as perceived by 83 (72.8%) and uncooperativeness at work perceived by 83(72.8%) nurses where as poor interpersonal communication skill perceived by 31(86.1%), information gap perceived by 29 (80.6%) physicians, and poor attitude to work perceived 28(77.8%) were priority for physicians. 98% of the total respondents; 111 (97.4%) nurses and all 36 (100.0%) physicians perceive that effective nurse-physician communication can improve patient care quality. In addition, 140 (93.3%) respondents; 104 (91.2%) nurses and all physicians (100.0%) perceive that effective nurse physician communication can reduce patient length of stay and 143 (95.3%) respondents; 109(95.6%) nurse and 34 (94.4%) physicians perceive that effective nurse-physician communication can increase patient satisfaction. Pearson correlations testes revealed that there is an inverse relationship between factors affecting nurse-physician communication and patient outcomes. Large proportion
of nurses 44(38.6%) expressed their overall perception as “poor”; whereas the majority of physicians 16 (44.4%) expressed their overall perception as “good”.
Conclusion: The study showed that all identified factors have been found to haveeffect on nurse-physician communication with different degrees of impact. Bothnurses and physicians have perceived that effective nurse-physiciancommunication have positive impact on patient outcomes. Negative correlationswere existed between factors affecting nurse physician communication and patientoutcomes. Nurses were not satisfied with their relation with physicians where asphysicians were relatively satisfied with their relation with nurses. Interventionssuggested by nurses and physicians to improve nurse-physician communicatio include respect for other & others’ profession, trainings on interpersonal &professional communication, accountability and responsibility for ones professional duties and others.
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Keywords
Barriers, Nurse-physician communication, Patient outcomes, Perception