Nursing is a demanding profession that requires a high level of expertise and a thorough understanding of interpersonal communication principles. Communication in nursing is crucial, as it influences prevention, treatment, therapy, rehabilitation, education and health promotion. In modern practice each patient's opinion is considered an essential contribution to evaluating healthcare quality. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the literature on communication between nurses and patients. The aim is to explore barriers and describe how effective communication impacts patient safety, the well-being of both nurses and patients, and their mutual relationship. Methods: A descriptive method with a systematic literature review was employed. The search for literature used only English keywords. The literature search was conducted in the following databases: Digital Library of the University of Ljubljana, ResearchGate, and PubMed. The timeframe of the literature included in the table ranged from 2018 to 2024. A total of 14 articles were included in the analysis based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected articles were organized into a table where the authors, purposes, methods, and key findings of each study were documented. Results: Communication in healthcare varies depending on different situations. Interpersonal, verbal, and non-verbal communication are crucial components of nursing care. Challenges in communication between nurses and patients arise from workload, time constraints, stress, and similar factors. Positive communication encourages a process of positive evaluations in patients, leading to improved behaviours and emotional well-being. Patients' trust in nurses correlates with the quality of nursing care. Discussion and conclusion: Effective communication is essential for facilitating information exchange, supporting patients, and enhancing their understanding of treatment outcomes. Further research in this area would be beneficial, particularly regarding the mental health and well-being of nurses during interactions with patients. Training programs for nurses focused on the development of communication skills would also be advantageous. These programs could help enhance their ability to communicate effectively and compassionately with patients and improve collaboration within healthcare teams.
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