Impact of Nurse-Patient Communication on Patient Satisfaction and Health Outcomes

Abstract

Background: It is a well-established fact that any interaction can improve or worsen quality treatment by the way nurses, as members of the patient care team, convey and receive information from and to the patients.

Aim: This research seeks to establish the part that communication plays in the development of trust, positive attitude from the patients towards their doctors, compliance to the recommended treatments, and consequent enhanced healthcare status.

Methods: An empirical works review was performed to compare with the results of the systematic qualitative review of communication-related factors like empathy, active listening, and cultural sensitivity to identify their effects on nurse-patient relations and health outcomes.

Results: It was concluded that poor communication leads to poor outcomes in patient care. Patient compliance and adherence were improved by the provision of understanding from nurses from the cultural perspective and therefore improved on their recovery rate and satisfaction.

Conclusion: This paper recognizes that communication is a vital enabler that strengthens healthcare, builds trust and improves the results of patient care. Effective communication is hence part of general care as well as the education of nurses so that the right results can be obtained.