TITLE:
Nurses’ movements within and between various paths when improving their communication skills—An evaluation of validation method training
AUTHORS:
Mona Söderlund, Agneta Cronqvist, Astrid Norberg, Britt-Marie Ternestedt, Görel Hansebo
KEYWORDS:
Training Communication Skills; Dementia Care; Validation Method; Qualitative Analysis of Videotapes
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.3 No.2,
June
13,
2013
ABSTRACT: Aims and objectives: To
explore any changes in nurses’ skills at communicating with residents with dementia disease
when using the validation method, as observed in one-to-one videotaped
conversations. Background: Communication difficulties due to cognitive impairment among residents with
dementia disease may complicate care situations. Training can improve nurses’
communication skills and increase care quality. The validation method aims to
facilitate communication with residents with dementia disease through
empathic and confirmatory approaches. Evaluations of the validation method have
primarily focused on the residents’ perspective, and reports on nurses’ experiences
are sparse. Improved communication and relationships with residents after validation
method training have been described previously. Videotaped data could provide additional information about these earlier results. Design: A descriptive qualitative design. Methods:
Eight nurses participated in a year of validation method training, including
videotaped conversations with eleven residents. Videotapes with at least five months
between the first and last recording were analysed and compared qualitatively.
Results: The analysis revealed an overall pattern: nurses’ movements
within and between various paths when improving their communication skills.
This was based on three sub-patterns: from
controlling communication towards developing attentiveness in communication,
from ambiguous communication towards developing coherence in communication,
and from being open and attentive towards having a refined attuned
communication. Conclusions: All
nurses developed their communication skills during the programme, albeit to
different degrees. The findings are in congruence with the experiences described
by nurses, and so it is reasonable to believe that the programme helped to
improve the nurses’ skills in communicating with residents with dementia disease. Relevance to clinical practice: A
validation method training programme could give nurses the possibility to
develop their skills in communicating with residents with dementia disease.