Abstract

Relationships begin with first impressions. Since nurses are the cornerstone to hospital experiences, the nurse-patient relationship is of vital importance, beginning with the first impression. The nurse-patient relationship has the potential to impact the patient's trust, comfort, fear, and ultimately satisfaction with the entire hospital experience. Evidence is found in other disciplines emphasizing the importance of the first impression, however there is minimal research in nursing about first impressions of the bedside nurse. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the first step in understanding the first impression of the bedside nurse from the patient perspective. Additionally, this research aims to close the gap and increase understanding of the initial impression of the orientation phase in the nurse-patient relationship as discussed by Peplau. This dissertation includes three unique studies: an integrative literature review, a qualitative descriptive pilot study, and a comprehensive qualitative grounded theory study aimed at exploring the process of first impressions of the bedside nurse. The results of this research establish the foundation to understanding the meaning and importance of the first impression of the bedside nurse from the patient perspective. This research can be applied to nursing education, and has the potential to drive organizational policy as well as patient satisfaction strategies. Furthermore, this research serves to launch a trajectory to further explore first impressions and their relationship to patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Notes

If this is your thesis or dissertation, and want to learn how to access it or for more information about readership statistics, contact us at STARS@ucf.edu

Graduation Date

2021

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Neff, Donna

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Nursing

Department

Nursing

Degree Program

Nursing

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0009110; DP0026443

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0026443

Language

English

Release Date

February 2023

Length of Campus-only Access

1 year

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS