Abstract:
Background: The exchange of messages through both verbal and nonverbal means is
known as communication. Information sharing and receiving between nurses and patients
is hampered by communication barriers. To the best of my knowledge, the study area had
very little information on the factors that determine it. The primary goal of this study is to
evaluate how patients see nurses' communication with them and other relevant factors.
Objective: To assess the perceived nurse-to-patient communication level and associated
factors among Inpatients in Ambo University Referral Hospital, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2021.
Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional mixed-methods (concurrent) study was
conducted from July 26 to August 26, 2021, at Ambo University Referral Hospital. The
study was conducted among 221 inpatients in the quantitative study. To collect data the
structured questionnaire was used. Ethical clearance was secured from the IRB of Ambo
University CMHS. The data collected were entered into Epi data version 3.1 and
exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. Bivariate analysis was used and variables
with a p-value ≤ of 0.25 were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model to
find the associations among variables. Variables having a p-value less than 0.05 with
95% CI were used to determine associated factors. The result was described through text,
figures, tables, and charts. For the qualitative study, in-depth interviews were done by
using unstructured questionnaires with up to 7 in-depth interviewee participants, and
thematic analysis was used. Results: Among 217 participants, 152 (70%) of them were
found to have a poor level of communication. The identified determinant factors were:
unfamiliarity with the dialect of nurses (AOR= 2.535; 95% CI: 1.219-5.271), the
workload of nurses, (AOR= 2.163; 95%CI: 1.074-4.354), lack of nurses’ communication
skills (AOR= 4.245; 95% CI: 1.329-13.554), family interference (AOR= 2.089; 95%CI:
1.039-4.99) and unsuitable environment (AOR= 2.144; 95%CI: 1.035-4.440).
Conclusion and recommendation: This study indicated that more than two third of the
participants had poor perceptions of nurses’ communication. As a result, effective
interventions should be implemented to overcome identified and increase inpatients’ and
nurses’ awareness of effective communication suggested by participants.
