Therapeutic communication is the basis of interactive relationships among health team and their patients: that
affords opportunities to establish rapport, understand the client’s experience, formulate individualized or client interventions
and optimize health care resources. Aim: this study was carried out to assess the effect of a planned therapeutic communication
program on therapeutic communication skills of pediatric nurses.
Methods: Setting: the study was carried out at Shebin El kom and Benha University hospitals. Research design: a quasi
experimental research design was utilized. Sample: all staff nurses (132) who are working at the previously mentioned settings
were included. Tools: Two tools were used for data collection. Tool one: a therapeutic communication questionnaire: consisting of
two parts: (a) Socio-demographic structured questionnaire to obtain demographic data of the studied sample and (b) a structured
therapeutic communication knowledge questionnaire to assess nurses’ knowledge pre and post therapeutic communication
program. Tool two is a five points Likert-scale structured check list used to assess the degree of improvement in pediatric nurses’
skills and practice of therapeutic communication.
Results: The results of this study showed a positive statistical significant correlation between total knowledge score and total
practice score of nurses’ therapeutic communication skills at each measurement time (pre: r = 0.52, p < .00; post r = 0.53, p <
.001). Also, a highly statistical significant improvement in pediatric nurses’ knowledge, practice and skills regarding therapeutic
communication was found p < .001.
Conclusions: It was concluded that pediatric nurses had significant improvement in their knowledge and skills regarding
therapeutic communication with their hospitalized child patients after utilization of a planned therapeutic communication program.
Recommendation: Continuously implement advanced therapeutic communication programs for pediatric nurses to enhance safe
and healthy interactions, foster trust and improve recovery of their hospitalized children. |
