Nurse-patient interaction in the intensive care unit.

Patients in the ICU, especially those who are unable to communicate verbally, need sensitive and individualized communication to prevent feelings of isolation and alienation and to promote continued socialization throughout their hospitalization and return to the community. The results of this study indicate that the quality and effect of the interactions between nurses and intubated patients in the ICU require further study to delineate the factors that contribute to the effective or ineffective communication. We believe that the Categories of Nurse-Patient Interaction that was developed for this study is useful and practical measure of nurse-patient interaction in the ICU.