Identification of patient communication difficulties for nurses who work in intensive care unit of internal medicine

This study; was carried out as descriptive purpose in identification of patient communication difficulties for nurses who work in Intensive Care Units of Internal Medicine. The sampling methods were applied over 164 nurses who work in Intensive Care Units of Internal Medicine of 9 State and University Hospitals located in Ankara municipal boundaries. The data, prepared in utilizing literature by the researcher was collected using data collection form. Data collection form includes descriptive characteristics of nurses, situations of difficulties faced in patient communication and questions related to solution for the communication difficulties experienced. The numbers and percentage obtained data were analyzed using chi-square test. The study determined that 47% of internal medicine intensive care nurses? are having difficulties in verbal communication and 43,9% of them are having difficulties in partly. The study showed that 47% of intensive care nurses? of internal medicine live difficulties in verbal communication and while 43,9% of them are living difficulties in partly. The nurses whose are experiencing communication difficulties have stated that the reasons of communication difficulties were originated from 84,8% `s of themselves, 92,1% of the status of the patient, 56,7% of the physical properties of intensive care environment, and 58,6% `s derived from patients? relatives. According to study results; ensuring the nurses who are working in intensive care units to participate `the intensive care nursing certification program?, considering the desires during the employment of individuals within the organisation, ratio of patient / nurse in the intensive care unit, appropriate planning of standards of intensive care determined by the Ministry of Health, applying of in-service training plans related to the sources of communication difficulties experienced by the intensive care nurses of internal medicine, applying corporate activities in order to stimulate their motivations are especially recommended.Key words: Internal medicine, intensive care, intensive care nursing, communication, communication difficulties.