Salzmann-Erikson and Dahlén (2016) present a critical topic for the modern health care settings. Often, nurses and other health care professionals prioritize patients’ physical needs and neglect their psychological wants. Patients yearn for the care that an ordinary human being would desire to have. As a result, their relationship with the nurses can impact their health and the treatment process massively.
This relationship requires solidarity, openness, equality, integrity, honesty, trust, and safety. Salzmann-Erikson and Dahlén explain that these can promote health for young Anorexia Nervosa patients. Additionally, nurses must have a positive attitude; they should motivate their patients, give them hope, be present and available, manage emotions effectively and have the necessary knowledge and experience. I believe that such a relationship could be crucial and significantly helpful to all patients today.
Yet, I question the validity of the findings because of heavy reliance on secondary sources and a small sample size. How generalizable are the results? Could the authors have looked at other sources, for instance, primary sources like case studies and surveys? Undoubtedly, their findings are critical and could be vital in spearheading future research, but the validity remains questionable.
Overall, the research was well planned, and the process of getting the results was thorough. Such analysis is critical for the health care sector, and policymakers could use the findings to strategically improve the quality of care provided to different groups of patients. It offers crucial insight into what is needed to improve treatment outcomes for young patients with Anorexia Nervosa and how nurses can promote positive relationships with their patients.
Despite using a small sample of articles and failing to account for more demographical differences, the research offers insight into the possible lack of health-promoting nurse-patient relationships in health care.
References
Salzmann-Erikson, M., & Dahlén, J. (2016). Nurses’ establishment of health-promoting relationships: A descriptive synthesis of anorexia nervosa research. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0534-2
