Effects of Patient Posture on Bedside Communication: Subjective feelings of Ease in Conversation and Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Simulated Patients

Abstract

　The bedside environment is a critical factor in facilitating effective communication within nursing practice. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of patient posture on communication by assessing subjective ease in conversation and autonomic nervous system activity in different positions. Healthy volunteers served as simulated patients, with measurements taken in both supine and unsupported sitting positions on the bed, which are considered common bed postures. The results indicated that participants experienced greater ease in conversation and exhibited reduced sympathetic activity in the unsupported sitting position compared with the supine position. Notably, a significant negative correlation was observed between ease in conversation and sympathetic activity in the supine position. These findings suggest that optimizing patient posture, specifically using an unsupported sitting position, may alleviate psychological and physical strain during communication. The study also proposes heart rate variability analysis (LF/HF) as a potential indicator for determining optimal patient posture that promotes ease in communicative interactions within nursing practice.