Learning Objective #1: Understand Japanese patients’ perception of Nurses’ caring and uncaring behaviors

Learning Objective #2: Understand how these behaviors can be related to motivation to help theory

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PURPOSE: To examine Japanese patients' perception of nurses' caring and uncaring behaviors from the perspective of help-motivation theory (Batson, 1987).  DESIGN AND METHODS: Phenomenology design was used to examine how patients perceived nurses’ behaviors and how they felt about receiving care.  After informed consent was obtained, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 patients who were admitted to a rural hospital in Japan.  All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim.  Data were analyzed through labeling, coding, and categorizing to identify themes and patterns.  RESULTS: Patients perceived nurses’ behaviors as caring when nurses attempted to relieve their pain in the most effective way, provided routine care in an appropriate and prompt way, and attempted to meet the patients’ needs as soon as possible regardless of the type and intensity of care required.  These behavioral characteristics matched the defining attributes of altruistic motivation to help.  On the other hand, patients perceived nurses’ behaviors as uncaring when nurses talked or explained to the patients using unfamiliar words such as medical terms, provided the care on delayed schedule or not on the appropriate time for the patients, told the patients that s/he couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to meet their needs because s/he was not assigned to them on that shift.  These behavioral characteristics matched the defining attributes of egoistic motivation to help.  Patients felt positive and comfortable asking for help to nurses after the caring interaction. However, patients felt negative and uncomfortable asking for further help after the uncaring interaction with the nurses.  CONCLUSIONS: Nurses’ caring behaviors that were perceived by patients matched defining characteristics of altruistic motivation to help, which resulted in patients’ positive reaction after the interaction with nurses.  Nurses’ uncaring behaviors that were perceived by patients matched defining characteristics of egoistic motivation to help, which resulted in patients’ negative reaction.