Determining Pediatric Nurses’ Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Nurse-patient Interaction and Liking of Children Level

INTRODUCTION: The study was conducted descriptively in order to determine the factors affecting the attitudes and behaviors of pediatric nurses towards nurse-patient interactions and their level liking of children.
METHODS: The sample size of the study, the number of individuals in the population was determined according to the known sample calculation, and the sample of 294 pediatric nurses was formed. The research data were collected using the “Data Collection Form”, “Caring Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale (CNPIS)” and “Barnett Child Liking Scale (BCLS)”. The data were evaluated by number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent samplet test, one-way ANOVA, correlation test, and linear regression.
RESULTS: Means for the importance, competence, and feasibililty dimensions of the overall scale were 319.93± 33.931, 291.01 ± 42.360, and 267.29 ± 53.673, respectively. It was determined that the total mean scores for the “significance, adequacy, and applicability” levels of the CNPIS were 319.93 ± 33.93, 291.01 ± 42.36, 267.29 ± 53.67, respectively. It was determined that the variables of age, marital status, educational status, department employed, working year, and working year as a pediatric nurse affected the mean CNPIS score of the nurses (P <.05). The nurses’ BCLS mean score was determined as 85.80 ± 13.74. It was determined that the nurses’ child liking scores varied according to the unit they were working in (P <.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In the study, it was determined that there are significant predictors on the nurses’ average child-liking points and the mean scores of CNPIS-Importance-Adequacy-Practicability and there is a strong positive relationship between them. It may be suggested that pediatric nurses be supported with in-service trainings so that they can plan their practices in line with child-liking and care-oriented interaction.