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Nurse´s Communication with Mentally Disabled Clients in Social Care Institutes.
KOLÁŘOVÁ, Zdeňka
Theoretical grounds We can communicate through words, that is verbally, or through body language, that is non-verbally. Communication of nurses is a very specific kind of communication.In order to fulfil her role, a nurse has to meet three following conditions. The first concerns collective orientation; another one is universalism; and the last one is about emotional neutrality. Mental retardation means that people are at disadvantage of normal development of intellectual powers, there is a distinctive development of some psychological features and breakdown of adaptation behaviour. This disorder affects a patient in all elements of his or her personality, that is, in mental, physical and social areas. Mental disability can be divided into multiple view points. In terms of developmental period it is differentiated into inborn handicaps and acquired ones. Mental handicap can be further differentiated into atrophic-degenerative, ischemic-vascular and symptomatic mental retardation. In terms of behavioural type it is divided into eretic, torpid-apathetic types and indeterminate ones. Mental retardation is classified into several classes depending on the level of achieved IQ. These are low, medium-high, high, and severe mental retardation and other unspecified types of mental retardation. Residential care homes are supposed to help and support patients with mental handicap with their social integration. They focus on clients who suffer hardship, which may be caused by various factors. Aim of the paper The aim of the paper is to find out the specifics of communication between nurses and patients with mental disabilities in residential care homes. Methodology Qualitative methods were used for this inquiry. Data were gathered by the means of interviews. Before the individual interviews, permission was first taken from the managers of individual residential care homes then from the head nurses. Eight interviews were conducted with cooperation of the nurses. The interviews were conducted by nurses, who deal with mentally handicapped patients. The interviews were anonymous and conducted right in these institutions. The interview contains ten questions in writing and which were recorded. The data were analyzed and the results subsequently divided into categories and subcategories. For the fuller clarification, schemes were created with Xmind programme. The research inquiry was conducted in March 2014. Results On the basis of the research inquiry it was found how nurses perceive their communication with patients. Most of the answers were similar in that nurses consider communication as insufficient but that they always find a way to agree with the patient. Further the inquiry deals with the specifics of communication with the mentally disabled patients. Non-verbal communication is very often preferred method of communication with mentally disabled patients. Patients, who mostly have difficulty in expressing themselves verbally, have very developed body language. The differences in communication with a patient with mental disability are seen by respondents in their very slow speech, frequent repetition of what they have been just told, and their impulsiveness. Also the use of pictograms or pictures are seen by nurses as a difference. In the last part of the inquiry, barriers in communication both on the part of a nurse and patient were researched. Conclusion Taking into consideration the final results of the study, it is possible to say that the research questions were answered and the aim was thus fulfilled. The results can serve as supportive material in lessons in psychology and communication. It can also function as material during training in communication for nurses who work in residential care homes.
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