Evaluation of Nurses' Competency in Nurse-Patient Communication about Medications: Conversational Analysis Approach

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop evaluation criteria for conversations about medication and to demonstrate conversational analysis with actual dialogues on medication as examples. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of qualitative research using conversational analysis which showed functional phases and patterns of dialogue about medication (greeting, identifying the patient, medicating, finishing). Nurse-patient conversations were videotaped and transcribed and 75 conversations were used for analysis. RESULTS: Not all functional phases were showed in the conversations about medication. Therefore, conversations about medication can be considered as incomplete dialogues. The evaluation-criteria were represented in terms of the structure and content of the dialogues. Structural evaluation-criteria were the same as the functional phases, as functional stage is the standard for evaluation. The criteria of evaluation for content suggested 3 domains, content, expression, and interaction with 20 items scored on a Likert-type scale of 5-points. Finally, analysis of actual conversations about medication according to the evaluative criteria were provided. CONCLUSION: The results provide the basic data to develop educational programs and strategies to improve nurses' competency in conversation about medication.