EFFECTS OF COMMUNICATION MODE AND INFORMATION-PROCESSING PREFERENCE ON INFORMATION ADEQUACY, ACCURACY OF RECALL, AND DECISION-MAKING ABILITY FROM THE NURSING SHIFT REPORT.
Contributors: Ohio University.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 139
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of three methods of the nursing shift report and registered nurses' preferences for processing information as a communicative mechanism for nursing decision making and the delivery of patient care. The three methods of shift reporting include the face-to-face report, the audiotaped report, and the computerized printout report. The problem for the study was: what are the relationships among the three methods of the nursing shift report, preference in information processing, and the nurse's perception of information adequacy, accuracy of information recall, and the ability to make decisions?.

Six research hypotheses and one research question were tested. A quasi-experimental (3 x 2) two-way factorial multivariate analysis of variance design was employed for the study. One hundred eighty-seven registered nurses were randomly assigned to one of three levels of one of the first independent variables (communication mode) and placed in one of two treatment levels of the second independent variable based on the results of information processing preference. Individual processing preference was measured by the style of processing scale. Information adequacy was measured by the information adequacy scale and decision making ability was measured by a 16 item multiple-choice decision-making test. Information recall was measured by subjects' free recall of the stimulus material from the shift report. One-way MANOVAS were calculated for demographic data and the dependent variables on the three report modes. Results indicate no interaction between individual style of processing preference and communication mode of the shift report. There are no differences in perceptions of information adequacy and decision-making between the three modes of the shift report. The written mode is more accurate for recall of information than the other two modes. Accuracy of information recall and decision-making decrease with age. Experience and shift report preference do not differ with shift report mode. Accuracy of recall is greater for subjects who report normally using the face-to-face report mode.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-06, Section: B, page: 2340.

Thesis (PH.D.)--OHIO UNIVERSITY, 1988.

School code: 0167.