Associations Between Nurse-Patient Interaction and Sense of Coherence Among Cognitively Intact Nursing Home Residents

Aim:To investigate the association between nurse-patient interaction and sense of coherence among cognitively intact nursing home residents.Method:In a cross-sectional design, data were collected in 2017 and 2018 using the Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale (NPIS) and the 13-item Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13). Of the 204 cognitively intact nursing home residents who met the inclusion criteria, 188 (92%) participated, representing 27 nursing homes. Multiple regression in a general linear model estimated the possible effects of the 14 NPIS items on SOC-13 sum score, the possible effects of the NPIS (sum score) on SOC-13 (sum score) as well as on the subdimensions of SOC-13, comprehensibility, meaningfulness, and manageability (both without and with adjusting for sex and age).Results:Four of the 14 NPIS items revealed highly significant correlations with SOC-13 (sum score; unadjusted and adjusted for age and gender). Furthermore, the analysis adjusted for age and gender showed significant associations for NPIS (sum score) with SOC-13 (sum score), manageability, and comprehensibility. The correlation between NPIS and meaningfulness was not statistically significant.Conclusion:Nurse-patient interaction is significantly associated with SOC-13 and its subdimensions of comprehensibility and manageability but not meaningfulness. Nurse-patient interaction might be an important resource in relation to residents' sense of coherence and its subdimensions.

Automated summary

The study found a significant association between nurse-patient interaction and sense of coherence as well as its subdimensions (comprehensibility and manageability) among cognitively intact nursing home residents. However, there was no significant correlation with meaningfulness. This suggests that nurse-patient interaction may be an important resource in relation to residents' sense of coherence.