Comunicação verbal entre a enfermeira e o cego : aspectos observados durante a consulta de enfermagem

Abstract

The issue of communicating with blind patients is observed during the professional performance of the nurses, who, since their undergraduate studies on blindness, is relationship with the communication process still presents some gaps. It is acknowledged that the blind patient presents a sensorial barrier that can compromise the information received during the nursing attendance to the patient. This study is justified by the nurse’s necessity of using verbal communication at all times during the attendance procedure and, for that matter, the necessity of knowing the principles and concepts which refer to the communication process. When this communication process takes place between the nurse and the blind patient, it is important to emphasize is specificity, making the professional develop communication skills to put into effect na assistance of quality. The general aim has been to analyze the verbal communication between the nurse and the diabetic blind patient in the light of Roman Jakobson’s theory and, the specific aims, to identify the addresser of the interaction in the communication between the nurse, the diabetic blind patient and his/her companion, and to outline the addresser’s profile according to the conative function, to the emotive function, the referential, the contact and the code. This is a descriptive and exploratory study, which has utilized a quantitative approach, carried out in a specialized center in diabetes and hypertension in the city Fortaleza, Ceará. This institution is a State reference in health care, provinding specialized attendance to diabetic and hypertensive patients. The subjects center blind peeple presenting blindness in both eyes, who are attended at this specialized center, their companions to diabetic patients, where the researcher, the nurse, the blind patient and a possible companion werw present. The data were recorded through video recording, in February anda March of 2005. Before the video recording, the researcher interviewed the blind patient, collecting data for identification (name, age, sex, city of birth, time of treatment for the control of diabetes, times of attendance in the institution), inquiring also about how and went blind. That took place in the waiting room, before the pacient’s examination. The video recordings were performed during the nursing attendance, lasting, on average, 19 minutes. Five video recordings were performamed, analyzed by three nurse-referees. The scenes were analyzed every 15 seconds, when there was a pause on the video and entry on the data analysis instrument. A total of 1131 verbal interactions between the nurse, the blind patient and the companion were analyzed. As a result of those interactions, it was observed that the nurse took upon himself the role of addresser of the communication in 57.8%, while the blind patient did it in 20%. In what reagards the vocative variable, the mode of action prevailed in 66.2% of the communication. In what concerns the cotent of the information, guidance stood out in 85.4%, were the most utilized channel was hearing ( 53%), followed by sight (40.6%). The most employed language during the attendance was the common type ((96.1%). To the blind patient, the communication of person matters prevailed (42%), while to the nurse it was the treatment (59.8%). The most common emotive fuctions in the interactions were those of sympathy, satisfaction, tranquility and empathy. It has been concluded that the nurse, in the performance setting, still needs to develop communication skills. Even as positive aspects have been found during verbal communication, it has been ascertained that the blind patient das the necessity of verbalizing, aspects that were undervalued by the health professional, and the nurse needs to know and appreciate the specificd related to the attendance to those people. It has been suggested in the end the expansion of studies on the communication bteween the nurses and the blind patients, having as na aim to optimize the attendance.