Analyzing Nurse-Client Interactions in Family Planning Clinics

Abstract

The interaction between clients and health-care providers during community health clinic visits affects satisfaction with care, adherence to prescribed regimens, and return for follow-up appointments. The very nature of nursing requires interaction; it is, therefore, particularly important to describe and analyze nurse-client interactions in order to shape effective care and build nursing theory. This descriptive study identified specific content dimensions of the client's part of the interaction and quantified the types of nursing responses. Secondary analysis of audiotaped nurse-client interactions was conducted on a convenience sample of 12 female clients in two family planning clinics. Theoretical constructs relevant to contraceptive use and content analysis of the tapes were used to identify four major self-care constructs: past self-care practice, knowledge requisite to contraceptive use, the intent to carry out use-behaviors, and decision processing. Client responses more often (M = 62%) focused on past self-care practice than on future self-care practice (M = 38%). Nursing responses to clients' self-care experiences tended to provide information or ask questions rather than offer support or suggestions. The findings suggest that nurses in family planning settings may need to use support and guidance to place more emphasis on the future rather than the past, including working through decisions about the ways in which a particular contraceptive method will fit into the client's actual lifestyle.