The relationship between nurse-patient interaction and meaning-in-life in cognitively intact nursing home patients

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the associations between nurse-patient interaction and meaning-in-life in a nursing home population.

Background: Meaning has been found to be a strong individual predictor of successful ageing and life satisfaction as well as an important psychological variable that promotes well-being. Meaning seems to serve as a mediating variable in both psychological and physical health. Connecting and communicating with others have been seen to facilitate meaning-in-life among older individuals.

Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Methods: The data were collected in 2008-2009 using the Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale and the Purpose-in-Life test. A total of 250 cognitively intact nursing home patients met the inclusion criteria and 202 (81%) participated. A structural equation model of the hypothesized relationship between nurse-patient interaction and meaning was tested by means of LISREL 8.8.

Findings: The structural equation model fit well with the data. A significant direct relationship between nurse-patient interaction and meaning-in-life in cognitively intact nursing home patients was displayed.

Conclusion: Nurse-patient interaction significantly relates to meaning and purpose-in-life among cognitively intact nursing home patients and might be an important resource in relation to the patient's mental health and global well-being. High-quality nurse-patient interaction and in-house activities aiming to increase patients' meaning might increase psychological and physical health, well-being and psycho-spiritual functioning in this vulnerable population.

Keywords: meaning and purpose-in-life; nurse-patient interaction; nursing home patients; psycho-spiritual functioning; structural equation modelling; well-being.