Abstract
AIM: We quantitatively analysed the effect of a course in communication on the content of nurse-parent encounters and the ability of nurses to respond to the empathic needs of parents in a level III neonatal intensive care unit. METHODS: We evaluated 36 and 45 nurse-parent encounters audio recorded before and after 13 neonatal nurses attended a communication course. The number of empathic opportunities, the nurses' responses to these and the ways they involved parents in their infants' care were studied. RESULTS: Both before and after the course, the nurses talked more than the parents during the conversations. This nurse-centredness decreased after the course. The use of empathic or exploring responses to empathic opportunities increased from 19.9 ± 9.0% to 53.8 ± 8.9% (p = 0.027), whereas ignoring the feelings of the parents or giving inadequate advice decreased from 63.0 ± 10.0% to 27.5 ± 8.4% (p = 0.043) after the course. Use of statements expressing caring for the parents and encouragement for parents to participate in the care of their infant increased after the course (p = 0.0034 and p = 0.043, respectively). The nurses felt the course was very useful for their profession. CONCLUSION: A course in communication techniques improved nurses' ability to respond to parents' feelings with empathy.