What are Persons’ with Post-stroke Aphasia Experiences of Communicating with Nursing Staff?

Abstract

Background: People with post-stroke aphasia struggle with comprehension and expression of both spoken and written text. Poor communication often results in poor health outcomes which stresses the importance of effective communication between nursing staff and people with aphasia. People with aphasia are often excluded from research due to their communication difficulties resulting in this population being under-represented in research. Aim: The aim of this study is to gain an insight into the experiences of people with aphasia when communicating with nursing staff in hospital. Methods: Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, seven semi-structured interviews will be carried out to understand the unique experiences of people with aphasia. Careful consideration has been taken to facilitate a comfortable environment for participants with aphasia including aphasia-friendly written documents, an interview plan detailing the communicating needs of each individual and the use of creative communication aids throughout interviews. Implications for nursing practice: The findings of this study hope to influence nurses’ attitudes and promote a more person-centred approach when caring for people with aphasia. This study hopes to contribute to an area in which there is little nursing research and help build a better understanding of the needs of people with aphasia.