Nurses' experiences of communicating with patients with aphasia

Abstract

Aim: This study explored nurses' experiences of communicating with patients with aphasia. Design: A naturalistic paradigm approach was adopted to describe the phenomenon of interest. Methods: Participants were neurological nurses employed in various neurological departments and recruited using purposive sampling. Group interviews were conducted for 1 hr and 30 min using semi-structured open-ended questions. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was followed. Results: Four generic categories were derived: “Conversations with the aphasic patients are frustrating, which leads to impatience among nurses, and they eventually dismiss the patients,” “Feeling responsible for communicating with aphasic patients but also experiencing guilt for not being able to give adequate care in practice,” “Concerns about communication methods with aphasic patients” and “Desire to learn ways to communicate with aphasic patients.” Appropriate education and support should be given to nurses to facilitate communication with aphasic patients to ensure that they are not excluded from medical benefits because of communication difficulties.