Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Nurse-Family Connection: Exploring Verbal And Nonverbal Immediacy, Kristen P. Treinen

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Immediacy is the key to developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, each relationship has a unique set of rules and patterns of communication that help maintain the trust and continue the process of relational development. What is not unique about interpersonal relationships is the foundation of trust, a bond, that can be established through the use of immediacy. This study examines not only if nurses believe effective communication with family members is necessary, but how and in what ways nurses have forged a care connection with family members using verbal and nonverbal immediacy.