Nurse-Patient Interaction and Self-Transcendence: Assets for a Meaningful Life in Nursing Home Residents?

Abstract Background. Today, we face a shift to an older population worldwide and its consequences; a noteworthy part of older adults will need 24-hours nursing home care at the end of life. Finding new and alternative approaches to increase wellbeing among nursing home residents is highly warranted. Knowledge about nurse-patient-interaction, self-transcendence and meaning-in-life seems vital in order to guide clinical practice in how to best and efficiently boost wellbeing among older adults in nursing homes. Methods In a cross-sectional design, 188 (92% response rate) out of 204 long-term NH patients representing 27 NHs responded to the nurse-patient interaction, self-transcendence, and the purpose-and-meaning-in-life scales. Inclusion criteria were: (1) municipality authority’s decision of long-term NH care; (2) residential time three months or longer; (3) informed consent competency recognized by responsible doctor and nurse; and (4) capable of being interviewed. The hypothesized relations (five hypotheses) between the latent constructs were tested by means of structural equation modelling (SEM) using Stata 15.1. Results The SEM-model yielded a good fit (χ2=146.824, p=0.021, df=114, χ2 /df=1.29 RMSEA=0.040, p-close 0.811, CFI=0.97, TLI=0.96, and SRMR=0.063), showing significant relationships between the constructs of nurse-patient interaction, inter- and intra-personal self-transcendence and meaning-in-life. Nurse-patient interaction significantly relates with both inter- and intra-personal self-transcendence and meaning in NH patients. Self-transcendence revealed a fundamental influence on perceived meaning, while nurse-patient interaction demonstrated a significant influence on meaning, mediated by self-transcendence Conclusion According to the rapidly growing number of people over 65 in the world, and the growing segment of people 80-100, the present results are significant in their suggestions that nurse-patient-interaction is a crucial resource in relation to nursing home residents’ wellbeing. Knowledge of how nurse-patient-interaction, self-transcendence and meaning relate to each other among older adults in NHs is important for researchers, nurses, caregivers, nursing educators, and clinicians. Health professionals in nursing homes should learn how to competently use the nurse-patient interaction as a health promoting asset for self-transcendence, meaning and thus well-being. Nursing home nurses should be given more time for interacting with the residents, continuity and mutuality in nurse-patient relationships should be prioritized and facilitated.