The telephone nursing dialogue process: an integrative review

Abstract

Background Telephone nursing involves triage, advice, and care management provided by a nurse over the telephone. The telephone nursing dialogue process has been used clinically in telephone nursing in Sweden for several years to structure the communication and ensure a safe assessment and advice. Studies are needed to determine whether there is sufficient scientific evidence to support the method. Aim To describe the scientific basis of the phases of the telephone nursing dialogue process. Design This was an integrative review. Methods The literature searches were performed in August 2023, in the PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and SwePUB databases. Sixty-two articles were included. Data was sorted deductively according to the five phases of the telephone nursing dialogue process and categorized inductively to form subcategories describing the content of each phase. Result All five phases in the telephone nursing dialogue process were supported by a range of articles (n = 32–50): Opening (n = 32), Listening (n = 45), Analysing (n = 50), Motivating (n = 48), and Ending (n = 35). During the opening of the call, the nurse presents herself, welcomes the caller and establishes a caring relationship. In the listening phase, the nurse invites the caller to tell their story, listens actively and confirms understanding. During the analyzing phase, the nurse gathers, assesses, and verifies information. In the motivating phase, the nurse reaches a final assessment, informs the caller, gives advice and creates a mutual agreement and understanding while supporting the caller. Ultimately, the nurse ends the call after checking for mutual agreement and understanding, giving safety-net advice, deciding on whether to keep monitoring the caller and rounding off the call. Conclusion The phases of the telephone nursing dialogue process as described in the scientific literature are well aligned with the theoretical descriptions of the telephone nursing dialogue process.

Factors affecting communication during telephone triage in medical call centres: a mixed methods systematic review

“…The dialogue process during telephone triage from an operator’s perspective is well documented and described as containing five phases: opening, listening, analysing, motivating and closing [ 81 ]. Still, as found in this review, there are many factors that can complicate the communication, which implies that the operator alone cannot control the communication.…”