Communication Techniques Used by Medical and Surgical Nurses to Communicate with Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Through the process of a literature review and an online survey of medical and surgical nurses currently working in the hospital environment, this study investigates “Techniques Used by Medical and Surgical Nurses to Communicate with Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease.” The literature review covers current research explaining how Alzheimer’s disease affects a person’s ability to verbally communicate and ability to understand verbal communication. The research also covers the most effective communication techniques to utilize when communicating with a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Nurses in the medical and surgical fields have been given an online survey which includes demographic information, scenarios, and various communication techniques that could be implemented when talking to someone with Alzheimer’s disease. The information from the online survey has been analyzed for trends to show if nurses are using the proper techniques when communicating or if they are following the misconceptions. This study contributes to an area of research that is lacking information, as well as explores if medical and surgical nurses are communicating effectively with an ever growing population of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.