Traumatic experiences of hospitalization

Introduction. Anxiety is one of the most common feelings experienced by hospitalised patients. Patients are afraid of unfavourable diagnosis, poor prospects, pain, the necessity to change their plans or confront the unknown, as well as the threat of becoming dependent, disabled or even dying. Limiting the professional activities of medical personnel to instrumental operations may contribute to patients’ anxiety, consequently disturbing the healing process. Furthermore, when patients do not to receive psychological support or empathy from medical professionals, they become exposed to numerous traumatic experiences.

Aim. The aim of this study is to determine the scale and the nature of differences between the assessment of hospitalisation- related stressful events by patients and the nursing staff.

Material and methods. The study covered the group of 102 patients staying at internal medicine wards in several different hospitals in Kraków, as well as group 103 nurses. They were second-degree students attending nursing part-time studies at the Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum. The applied research method was a diagnostic survey based on an original questionnaire.

Results and conclusions. The study presents the results of the conducted survey, which indicated that the nurses are keenly aware of potential threats related to poor communication with the patient.

Nursing Topics 2014; 22 (1): 68–73