To examine the association between mutuality and quality of life in nurse–patient dyads.
A cross-sectional multi-centre study was conducted.
The study was conducted in five tertiary hospitals in Italy. We enrol both inpatients and outpatients with chronic diseases and their nurses with a convenience sampling. One-hundred ninety-two dyads participated to the study. A self-assessment instrument including the Short-Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12), and the Nurse Patient Mutuality in Chronic Illness scale (NPM-CI scale), in the two versions—one for patients and one for nurses, was administered. The effects of nurse–patient mutuality on the physical and mental quality of life of nurses and patients were estimated with a series of actor-partner-interdependence models (APIM).
Patients' and nurses' perceptions of their mutuality were positively correlated. For patient mental quality of life, there was a statistically significant actor effect both for patients, and for nurses. There was also a consistent statistically significant partner effect for patient mental quality of life. There were no statistically significant actor or partner effects for the nurses' and patients' physical quality of life. This construct may be influenced by additional components, further studies are needed.
Mutuality between nurses and patients in chronic diseases influence both patient and nurse quality of life.
Our results support the importance of taking a dyadic perspective when considering mutuality and quality of life in nurse–patient dyads.
Nurse–patient mutuality is an indicator of a high-quality relationship, which allows shared goals and shared decision-making. Quality of life is one of the most important outcomes for chronic conditions patients and is an indicator of well-being. Quality of life is also an important variable in healthcare professionals' lives. Little is known about the association between mutuality and quality of life in nurse–patient dyads. Mutuality has an actor effect on patient's and nurse's quality of life and has a negative partner effect on patient's quality of life. The understanding of mutuality and interdependence within the dyad, could increase mental quality of life in nurse–patient dyads.
STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was followed in this study.
Patients were involved in the sample of the study.
To examine the role of nurse–patient mutuality on three self-care behaviours in chronic illness patients.
A cross-sectional multi-centre study was conducted.
Mutuality was measured with the Nurse–Patient Mutuality in Chronic Illness scale which has the dimensions of developing and going beyond, being a point of reference and deciding and sharing care, and self-care was measured with the Self-care of Chronic Illness Inventory (SC-CII). Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to assess the contribution of three dimensions of mutuality on self-care maintenance, monitoring and management behaviours controlling for patient gender, age, education, number of medications, and presence of a family caregiver.
The sample included 465 inpatients and outpatients with at least one chronic illness. The three dimensions of mutuality had different roles in their influence on the three dimensions of self-care. Developing and going beyond was significantly associated with self-care maintenance and self-care monitoring behaviours. Point of reference was significantly associated with self-care maintenance behaviour. Deciding and sharing care was significantly associated with self-care monitoring and self-care management behaviours.
The mutuality between nurse and patient may be a novel area of research to support and improve patient self-care behaviours with implications for clinical practice and education.
Mutuality between nurse and patient increases patient engagement, symptom recognition, decision-making process and patient-centred approach favouring the development of self-care behaviours.
Mutuality between nurse and patient is a new concept and its association with the patient outcomes could bring relevance to the nursing profession. Self-care behaviours are important in the management of chronic diseases, but are difficult to perform. Mutuality between nurse and patient influences the three different behaviours of self-care in chronic illness, for this reason it is important to increase the level of mutuality in this dyad.
STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was followed in this study.
Patients were involved in the sample of the study.