Recognition of laughter by operating room nurses in their interaction with patients undergoing surgery

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K11939
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Fundamental nursing
• Research Institution: University of Fukui
• Principal Investigator: Aoike Chisato 福井大学, 学術研究院医学系部門, 特命助教 (00749658)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 長谷川 智子 福井大学, 学術研究院医学系部門, 教授 (60303369) ; 梅田 尚子 福井大学, 学術研究院医学系部門, 特命助教 (10808306)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 手術室看護師 / 笑い / 不安 / コミュニケーション / リラックス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to clarify how operating room nurses feel about laughter, during the interaction between the patient undergoing surgery during the period from admission to the operating room through to the introduction of anesthesia. We collected data from 13 operating room nurses by a semi-structured interview method, and conducted a continuous comparative analysis based on the grounded theory approach. Furthermore, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 220 operating room nurses. This study suggests that operating room nurses do not think that they feel more comfortable compared to their patients, or that they can find room to breathe. In addition, they recognized that the patient's reaction to laughter, which facilitates communication with the patient such as by making talking easier, allowed the nurse to know the patient's mental state and change the way he / she treated the patient.

Free Research Field

看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

手術を受ける患者と手術室看護師の相互作用においての笑いは、安心感や気持ちが楽になる、心に余裕ができるなど患者の精神的安楽に繋がるとともに、手術室看護師と患者との円滑なコミュニケーションや、笑いに対しての患者の反応から手術室看護師は対応を変えるなど、患者が安全に安楽に手術を受けることができる看護を提供できる。
また手術看護の教育に活かすことで、手術室看護師のスキルアップにも繋がり、看護の質が向上すると考える。