<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_fon-2019-0007_s_005_w2aab3b7b7b1b6b1aab1c17b1Aa"><h3>Objective</h3><p>Reflection is a process of deliberating thinking and examining one’s practice in the past and thereby encouraging nurses to make improvements in future care delivery. This work outlines a piece of reflection involving the practice of communication between nurses and the elderly, to emancipate the authors from their constraints, help to find values as practitioners, and gain a greater understanding of the nurse–patient relationship.</p></sec><sec id="j_fon-2019-0007_s_006_w2aab3b7b7b1b6b1aab1c17b2Aa"><h3>Methods</h3><p>Using Smyth’s four-stage model as a guide, as well as empirical and theoretical knowledge on nurse–patient relationships, this paper presents a deep reflection on the relationship that the authors developed with elderly patients and their families, encountered during the practice as a nurse. By applying the four main stages consisting of describe, inform, confront, and reconstruct, this model enabled the authors to frame, describe the practice issue, and explore the meaning behind it, which helps to facilitate a structured reflection.</p></sec><sec id="j_fon-2019-0007_s_007_w2aab3b7b7b1b6b1aab1c17b3Aa"><h3>Results</h3><p>Critical emancipatory reflection, in association with the Espoused theory and Theory-in-use, as well as reflexivity, critical social theory, and hegemony, was applied to uncover the various power relationships and constraining forces in the authors’ practice involved in communicating with the elderly, such as the underlying false consciousness, hegemony, hidden assumptions, influential values, and dominant power structure, which are subtle and persuasive. By applying this process of critical reflection, transformative practice could be achieved.</p></sec><sec id="j_fon-2019-0007_s_008_w2aab3b7b7b1b6b1aab1c17b4Aa"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The process of critical reflection facilitated the development of the abilities required to develop and maintain the nurse– patient relationship. It helps to enhance the care of old patients and their families, which illuminates the future nursing practice.</p></sec></abstract>

ObjectiveReflection is a process of deliberating thinking and examining one’s practice in the past and thereby encouraging nurses to make improvements in future care delivery. This work outlines a piece of reflection involving the practice of communication between nurses and the elderly, to emancipate the authors from their constraints, help to find values as practitioners, and gain a greater understanding of the nurse–patient relationship.MethodsUsing Smyth’s four-stage model as a guide, as well as empirical and theoretical knowledge on nurse–patient relationships, this paper presents a deep reflection on the relationship that the authors developed with elderly patients and their families, encountered during the practice as a nurse. By applying the four main stages consisting of describe, inform, confront, and reconstruct, this model enabled the authors to frame, describe the practice issue, and explore the meaning behind it, which helps to facilitate a structured reflection.ResultsCritical emancipatory reflection, in association with the Espoused theory and Theory-in-use, as well as reflexivity, critical social theory, and hegemony, was applied to uncover the various power relationships and constraining forces in the authors’ practice involved in communicating with the elderly, such as the underlying false consciousness, hegemony, hidden assumptions, influential values, and dominant power structure, which are subtle and persuasive. By applying this process of critical reflection, transformative practice could be achieved.ConclusionsThe process of critical reflection facilitated the development of the abilities required to develop and maintain the nurse– patient relationship. It helps to enhance the care of old patients and their families, which illuminates the future nursing practice.

Listen and talk to the older patients: a critical emancipatory reflection on the practice of communication issues

Frontiers of Nursing

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

ObjectiveReflection is a process of deliberating thinking and examining one’s practice in the past and thereby encouraging nurses to make improvements in...

Listen and talk to the older patients: a critical emancipatory reflection on the practice of communication issues

Article Category: Discussion

Published Online: May 20, 2019

Page range: 35 - 40

Received: Oct 21, 2018

Accepted: Dec 22, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2019-0007

Keywords
emancipatory, reflection, older patients, communication, nurse–patient relationship, person-centered care

© 2019 Zeng and He, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Listen and talk to the older patients: a critical emancipatory reflection on the practice of communication issues

Article Category: Discussion

Published Online: May 20, 2019

Page range: 35 - 40

Received: Oct 21, 2018

Accepted: Dec 22, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2019-0007

Keywordsemancipatory, reflection, older patients, communication, nurse–patient relationship, person-centered care

© 2019 Zeng and He, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
emancipatory, reflection, older patients, communication, nurse–patient relationship, person-centered care