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Sustaining Well-Being and Enabling Recovery: The therapeutic effect of nurse friendliness on clients and nursing environments
Rene Geanellos
Lecturer (Mental Health Nursing), School of Nursing, Family & Community Health, University of Western Sydney, Parramatta NSW
Abstract
A variety of studies identify friendliness/being friendly in their findings; however, no research reports on the phenomenon of nurse friendliness. Moreover, all prior findings are coincidental to the phenomenon under investigation, so nurse friendliness is superficially represented and poorly understood. In turn, the significance of nurse friendliness has gone unnoticed. Because the present study focused on nurse friendliness, it revealed a deeper dimension to this phenomenon and expanded prior, limited understandings.
This study, conducted in 2003, used Gadamerian hermeneutics to explore 12 clients' encounters with friendly nurses. Findings reveal that nurse friendliness results in mutuality, humour, fondness and reciprocity, in purposeful and thoughtful nursing action, and in a light-hearted environment where clients feel affirmed, included and uplifted. Because of this, nurse friendliness sustains clients and enables their recovery. In revealing the phenomenon of nurse friendliness, this study's findings add to knowledge regarding the therapeutic potential and significance of nurse-client relationships.
Keywords
friendliness, nurse-client relationships, nursing environment-milieu, well-being, recovery
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