Nurse hotlines focus on facts, miss emotional support patients need
Analysis of 30 recorded nurse advisory calls reveals telenurses prioritize medical information while largely ignoring callers' emotions and concerns. The finding suggests healthcare systems could improve patient outcomes and satisfaction by training nurses to balance clinical guidance with emotional support—a shift that could reduce follow-up calls and increase confidence in remote care services.
Originaltitel: Interaction between telenurses and callers - A deductive analysis of content and timing in telephone nursing calls
<p>Objectives: To explore the content and timing of verbal interaction between telephone nurses and callers, and to suggest areas for improvement.</p><p>Methods: Transcribed telephone conversations (n = 30) to a national nurse-led advisory service were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Categorization of data was based on components of interaction in the Interaction Model of Client Heath Behavior (IMCHB): health information, affective support, decisional control, and professional-technical competencies. The content was described both quantitatively, based on word count, and qualitatively, using descriptions and exemplars. Transcripts were also coded according to five phases in the conversation process: opening, listening, analyzing, motivating, and ending. The distribution of interaction components among phases was explored.</p><p>Results: Interaction primarily focused on health information, particularly during the listening and analyzing phases. Telenurses based their advice on medical facts and guided callers through the conversation process. Callers' emotions and reflections on advice were rarely discussed.</p><p>Conclusions: Health information dominate conversations. Interaction can be further developed, particularly with respect to acknowledging callers' emotional responses, their reactions to advice, and ensuring clarity in exchange of health information.</p><p>Practice implications: Findings offer valuable guidance for future development of interaction in telenursing.</p>