Nurses, patients, and social systems : the effects of skilled nursing intervention upon institutionalized older patients

Abstract

The authors, a team of nurses, behavioral scientists, and a psychiatrist, tackle a difficult, interesting, and important task: to observe and measure, objectively and under experimental conditions, the impact of skilled nursing care on the behavior of older physically ill patients. The authors carried out their experiment by comparing the interactions of patients, matched for age, sex, social status, and other factors, in contact with two groups of nursing personnel. The first group were participants with high nursing skills; the second group was a control group without such skills. The term skill in this particular context means active participation, utilizing optimal verbal communication and interaction, without attempts to control and direct, but rather to respond to requests or offers.