The essential structure of the lived experience of connection between nurse and patient

Abstract

The nurse-patient relationship is the heart and soul of nursing practice. Nurses find the most meaningful relationships with patients are those in which they feel deeply connected with patients. Yet studies show that nurses perceive a lack of adequate time with patients and most nurse-patient interactions as superficial, routinized, and related to tasks. The purpose of this study was to describe the essential structure of the lived experience of connecting with patients by nurses who said they experience connection with patients as a major aspect of healing. The research design was descriptive, using a phenomenological approach reflected in Colaizzi's model as adapted by Haase. Purpose and snowball sampling were used to enroll the sample of 13 female Registered Nurses in adult and child health. Major findings of this study consisted of four Theme Categories: Connection as a Process, The Nurse as Exemplar, Personal Transformation, and Connection as Healing. The results added new knowledge in the areas of nurses as exemplars and connection possibly occurring as a spontaneous reaction. In the essential structure of the lived experience of connection, connection is a process that begins with the selection of a patient, involving cognitive process and spontaneous reaction. The relationship is emotional and personal, and the nurse feels love towards the patient. The nurse feels connection as a "bubble" of energy surrounding herself and patient, and experiences visceral changes in the environment and within herself as warmth, peace, and calmness. The nurse benefits from the connection and gains clarity of purpose in life. The nurse who connects with a patient is an exemplar in both the science and art of nursing.