Date of Completion

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Keywords

Students, Nursing, Communication, Therapeutic Uses

Abstract

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES The study aims to discover the significance of different factors that can affect the use of therapeutic communication skills by nursing students during the course of nursing student-client relationships. It specifically determines the profile of the respondents including age, sex and year level, the factors affecting the student nurses’ use of therapeutic communication, and the significant difference in the aforementioned factors when grouped in terms of age, sex and year level.

METHODOLOGY This study made use of the non-experimental descriptive method of research with a self-created questionnaire tool based mainly on Peplau’s Interpersonal Theory and escorted by other literatures. The researchers selected the respondents by no means of any sampling method, rather invited the entire population of third and fourth nursing year levels, 207 and 39, respectively. However, there were 20 third year students who did not provide answers. Thus, there was a total of 226 respondents who met the following inclusion criteria: (a) has previous exposure to clinical duties (b) currently enrolled in BSN Academic Year of 2020 - 2021 (c) age ranges from 20-23 years old, and 24 and above, and (d) is willing to participate in the study as implied in the informed consent. Factors were determined by the means and standard deviation while significant differences in the answers were verified using T-Test and P-value.

MAJOR FINDINGS After the data gathering procedure, the following results were obtained: 1. Out of 226 respondents, 216 or 96% were 20 to 23 years old while 10 or 4% were 24 years old and above. With respect to their gender, 169 or 75% were identified as female, while 57 or 25% were identified as male. With respect to their year level, one hundred eighty-seven (187) or 83 % were Third Year students, while 39 or 17% were Fourth Year students. 2. The factors affecting student nurses’ use of therapeutic communication using all the phases of Peplau’s Interpersonal Theory were collectively and individually identified by the majority of the respondents as ‘highly positive’ with the overall mean of 4.44 and the standard deviation of 0.496 and for each element from Orientation – specifically on patient’s culture, values and beliefs (mean = 4.56 with SD = 0.500) and past experiences, expectations and preconceptions (mean = 4.38 with SD = 0.572); Identification - the nursing students’ ability of identifying patients' feelings and nursing problems (mean = 4.29 with SD = 0.683); Exploitation - the ability in involving patients in plan of care and problem solving (mean = 4.34 with SD = 0.594) to Resolution - psychological dependency (mean = 4.61 with SD = 0.488) which has the highest mean. Moreover, amongst all the statements, the one with the highest mean was “when my patient shows confidence and trust in me” (mean = 4.76 with SD = 0.523). The identification factor was not only the least among the highly positive factors but also obtained the lowest mean of ability to recognize a patient's feelings and nursing problem even when the patient is not approachable (mean = 3.83 with SD = 1.218) which is considered as a ‘positive factor’. There were three more statements out of twenty five that were perceived by the respondents as a ‘positive factor’ specifically the “(Even if I feel) I am worried to make mistakes in front of my patient” (mean = 4.10 with SD = 0.94), “Regardless of my patient’s consistent refusal to follow the nursing procedures'' (mean = 3.97 with SD = 1.097), and “Even when my patient is uncooperative during nursing procedures” (mean = 3.90 with SD = 1.162). 3. In terms of significant difference in the factors affecting nursing student’s therapeutic communication when grouped according to age, year level, and sex, the results revealed the following: There is a significant difference on the factors affecting student nurses’ use of therapeutic communication when grouped according to age, with computed t-ratio of -2.731 with p-value of 0.007 and year level with computed t-ratio of -2.985 with p-value of 0.003 both at 0.05 level of significance using 224 degrees of freedom. There is no significant difference on the factors affecting student nurses’ use of therapeutic communication when grouped according to sex as indicated by a computed t-ratio of -1.218 with p-value of 0.224 at 0.05 level of significance using 224 degrees of freedom. However, in each specific factor, particularly on resolution: psychological dependence, age does not show significant difference but varies when it comes sex.

CONCLUSIONS On the basis of the foregoing findings, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Majority of the respondents are 20 to 23 years old, female and Third Year Nursing Students. 2. The respondents considered all phases in Peplau’s Interpersonal Theory as ‘highly positive’ factors that affect student nurses’ use of therapeutic communication. Specifically, the first three (3) most highly perceived positive factors are psychological dependency, culture, values, beliefs, past experiences, expectations & preconceptions, respectively. 3. The considered factors affecting the student nurses’ use of therapeutic communication varies with age and year level while the same regardless of sex. However, in resolution: psychological dependence, variations occur with sex and year level but not with age.

First Advisor

Daisy H. Alberto, RN, MAN, PhD

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