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Ingalill Rahm Hallberg

Ingalill Rahm Hallberg

Professor emerita

Ingalill Rahm Hallberg

Nurses' experiences of the encounter with elderly patients in acute confusional state in orthopaedic care.

Author

  • Edith Andersson
  • Ingalill Rahm Hallberg
  • Anna-Karin Edberg

Summary, in English

The aim of this study was to illuminate nurses’ experiences of the encounter with elderly patients who developed acute confusional state (ACS) in orthopaedic care. Forty-eight nurses with professional background as registered (n=26) or licensed practical nurses (n=22) who took part in the nursing care of acute confused patients were involved. Open-ended unstructured interviews were conducted with regard to the course of events, experiences and interpretation of what had happened during the ACS as well as the nurses’ actions and encounter with the confused patient. The texts were analysed using manifest and latent content analysis, revealing that the nurses had difficulties in reaching the patients and their reality, and thus in understanding their experiences. Interpretation of the nurses’ experiences showed that the nurses found it difficult to reach the patients’ reality because the patients were in a divided and/or different world. They interpreted the patients as seeking solitude or company, keeping a distance or being suspicious of the nurses. The findings indicated that the interaction in the encounter between the acutely confused patients and the nurses indicated insufficient and/or broken reciprocity. The nurses used various strategies to meet the patients, being a companion and/or being a surrogate. They acted in the encounter based on their view of the patient and their ability to enter into and understand the patients’ situation. The strategies were more or less successful, sometimes resulting in contact and calming the patients and in other cases increasing the patients’ irritation and anger. The results were more successful when the strategies were derived from the nurses’ interpretation of the patients’ situation and the nurses paid attention to the patients and confirmed them.

Department/s

  • Department of Health Sciences

Publishing year

2003

Language

English

Pages

437-448

Publication/Series

International Journal of Nursing Studies

Volume

40

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Nursing

Keywords

  • Confusion
  • Nurse–patient relationship
  • Encounter
  • Elderly
  • Nursing care

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1873-491X