Developing trusting, caring relationships: home care nurses and elderly clients

Abstract

Trusting as an area of research has not been critically examined in nursing research literature. In this study, nurses working in home care and elderly clients were interviewed to ascertain the process of developing a trusting relationship. Data were obtained from seven home care nurses and six elderly clients who were interviewed from one to three times. The data were analysed using grounded theory methodology and sorted using Microsoft Word software on a Macintosh computer. The core category which was identified in the data was labelled 'trusting, caring relationships'. This core category encompassed trusting which is developed and the caring which the nurses provide. Home care nurses and elderly clients moved through four phases: initial trusting; connecting; negotiating; and helping. The findings have implications for novice nurses working with elderly people, as well as for programme development and education. More research needs to be done on trust in different contexts to assist all nurses in establishing nurse-client relationships.

Knowing hands converse with an expressive body – An experience of osteopathic touch

“…Trojan and Yonge (1993) used grounded theory to identify four phases that occurred in the development of trust between nurses and elderly clients -initial trusting, connecting, negotiating and helping. Consistent with the findings from Thom and Campbell (1997) reported above, behaviours identified as important to the development of trust included both interpersonal skills as well as technical competence.…”

Measuring Patients’ Trust in their Primary Care Providers

“…Based on theoretical and empirical work by others on patient trust and interpersonal trust generally (Hall, Dugan, Zheng, et al 2001;Goold and Hall et al / Measuring Trust in Physicians 297 Klipp 2002;Pearson and Raeke 2000;Thom and Campbell 1997;Mechanic and Meyer 2000;Semmes 1991;Trojan and Yonge 1993;Thorne and Robinson 1988), we conceptualized patient trust as having potentially five overlapping domains: (1) fidelity, which is caring and advocating for the patient's interests or welfare and avoiding conflicts of interest;…”

Trust: A Continuing Imperative

“…A number of studies emphasize that trust can be built if patient views are respected and taken seriously and information is openly shared with patients (Arksey & Sloper, 1999;Burkitt Wright, Holcombe, & Salmon, 2004;Henman, Butow, Brown, Boyle, & Tattersall, 2002;Joffe, Manocchia, Weeks, & Cleary, 2003;Johansson & Winkvist, 2002;Mazor et al, 2004;Mechanic & Meyer, 2000;Trojan & Young, 1993;Walker, 1998;Wilson, Morse, & Penrod, 1998;Zadoroznyj, 2001). Thus, the interpersonal skills that lead to trust are as important as clinical skills (Burkitt Wright et al, 2004;Cooper-Patrick et al, 1997;Goold & Kilpp, 2002;Henman et al, 2002;Lee-Treweek, 2002;Lings et al, 2003;McKneally & Martin, 2000;Thom, Kravitz, Bell, Krupat, & Azari, 2002).…”