Telephone advice nursing - callers' experiences

We studied telephone callers' experiences of contacting a medical call cent re. A questionnaire was administered to 203 persons. It was completed by 14 4 (71 %), of whom 81 (56%) chose to comment on their experience in the spac e provided. The comments were analysed using a qualitative method and were categorized as relating to either the practical or the emotional aspects of the call. Sixty-nine per cent of comments described a satisfactory experie nce. The unsatisfactory comments mostly concerned access problems. The call ers emphasized the importance of receiving appropriate advice and being tre ated in a kindly manner. In addition, there were dimensions of security and insecurity in nearly all the categories. The findings highlight the teleph one nurses' communication skills and their ability to deal with callers as individuals, to make them feel more secure. The selection, education and tr aining of telephone nurses should place more emphasis on their supportive a nd communicative roles.