Therapeutic Communication of Health Workers Against Covid-19

Survivors in Medan City

Dewi Kurniawati

Departement of Communication, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

Keywords: Therapeutic Communication, Health Workers, Covid-19 survivors

Abstract: The corona virus has been designated as a global pandemic outbreak by the world health organization (WHO)

thereby increasing the anxiety of people all over the world. Many people have been affected, especially those

who are Covid-19 survivors who need treatment. Good service and communication can motivate patients to

get well soon when they get sick. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many health workers (nakes) were treating

patients who contracted the disease due to the Covid-19 virus. Health workers not only take care of patients

physically but also need to establish good communication with patients so that the mental condition of the

patient can also be motivated to recover from illness. The purpose of this study was to analyze the therapeutic

communication of health workers in the recovery of Covid patients in the city of Medan. To see the inhibiting

factors in the therapeutic communication of health workers in the recovery of Covid-19 patients in Medan. In

this study, the research design used qualitative research methods with in-depth observations and interviews

with informants. The informants in this study were health workers (NAKES) in the city of Medan who would

be selected according to the research criteria. The results showed that the role of health workers in conducting

therapeutic communication with patients was proven to be able to reduce the patient's psychological burden

such as fear and anxiety about the impact of this virus which in turn could accelerate the patient's recovery

period, especially for patients who follow the health advice of the health worker. the inhibiting factor in

healing patients is the large number of negative news that can trigger bad thoughts in patients so that their

health becomes bad again.

1 INTRODUCTION

In recovering process, good communication is needed

between health workers and patients. This is

necessary so that patients get motivation to be able to

return to health as usual. In early March 2020,

Indonesia began to be affected by the Covid-19

pandemic which made many health workers who

died, either saving patients or those who were indeed

infected with the Covid-19 virus. Patients who

contracted the covid-19 virus were initially marked

with flu and fever, then the virus began to attack the

patient's congenital disease. (Yuliana, 2020) In the

data obtained at the beginning of 2021, patients

confirmed to be COVID-19 rose through 10,000

patients who recovered and the percentage for death

decreased. Until today, patients who are positive for

COVID-19 continue to grow every day and are

always above 50 people who are confirmed positive

or suspected. Patients receiving treatment in medan

alone now number 1301 Covid positive patients and

518 suspected Covid-19 patients.

(Https://www.humassumut.id/, 2020). This attracted

the attention of researchers to conduct research on

therapeutic communication in efforts to recover

Covid-19 patients in the cities of Medan and

Pekanbaru. There is also a formulation of problems in

this study as follows:

1. Therapeutic Communication of health workers

in the Recovery of Covid-19 Patients in Medan?

2. Knowing the supporting factors and inhibitors

of therapeutic communication of health workers in

the recovery of Covid-19 patients?

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

Previous research that is almost similar was

conducted by Rizky Hardhiyani, Department of

Psychology, Semarang State University in 2013. This

research is backgrounded by the phenomenon of lack

of motivation to heal inpatients in the jasmine room

Kurniawati, D.

Therapeutic Communication of Health Workers Against Covid-19 Survivors in Medan City.

DOI: 10.5220/0011509500003460

In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Social and Political Development (ICOSOP 2022) - Human Security and Agile Government, pages 35-39

ISBN: 978-989-758-618-7; ISSN: 2975-8300

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

of Kalisari Batang Hospital. The causes include the

lack of a theraupeutic relationship between nurses and

patients, causing patients to feel less motivated to

recover from their disease immediately. This study

aims to find out the relationship between nurses'

therapeutic communication and healing motivation in

inpatients. This research is a correlational quantitative

study. The study included 127 patients. The sampling

technique used is accidental sampling. The results

showed that the theraupeutic communication of

nurses was higher as well as the motivation to recover

inpatients as well as the motivation to recover

inpatients. (Hardhiyani, 2013).

Further research, conducted by Andi Hasan Al

Husain Journal of Communication Science in 2020.

This study is titled Doctor and Patient Health

Communication Based on Local Wisdom during the

Pandemic. The pandemic period raised concerns for

medical personnel to contract the Covid-19 virus due

to the unopenedness of patients in extracting

information on the disease suffered. This research

aims to find interperative communication strategies

by using Dramaturgy and Goffman theory and using

the Sipakatau concept in its analysis. The selection

of informants in this study is a health worker who

works as a doctor who does not handle Covid-19

patients, for the determination of researchers using

snowball sampling techniques. As for data collection

techniques by using in-depth interviews through

Whatsapp videocalls, literature studies, internet

searching. The results of this study showed that self-

presentation in the back stage is not too different from

the front stage. Self-presentation highlights the

identity as a doctor should be. This is done to support

the attitude of equality with patients and to support

the success of doctors in digging for information in

anamnesis, doctors use sipakatau communication

strategies. The substance of this study found a new

concept of health communication between doctors

and patients based on sipakatau local wisdom and

gave recommendations to hospitals and doctors to

apply the concept of health communication based on

local wisdom. The thing that distinguishes from the

research that will be carried out is on the object and

location of the research carried out. (Husain, 2020).

According to the results of Azizah Des Derivanti's

research entitled The Role of Therapeutic

Communication in Government Policy and Covid-19

Coverage in the Media Perspective of health

communication, commonly called therapeutic

communication, has principles that are contrary to the

media principle of "bad news is good news".

Therapeutic communication looking at the Covid-19

pandemic, there are three systems, namely

personalistic systems, naturalistic systems and

biomedical systems. In dealing with Covid-19, the

Government refers to at least two regulations, namely

Law No. 4 of 1984 and Pp No.40 of 1991 discussing

the Prevention of Infectious Disease Outbreaks in this

paper is the Covid-19 virus. Media reported the

Covid-19 case in detail as a symbol to make it easier

to describe the chronology and development of

Covid-19 virus cases. On the other hand, the personal

data of patients affected by covid19 is not displayed.

(Derivanti, 2020).

2.1 Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication is not just a series of

response stimuli, stimulus-responses but a series of

processes of mutual acceptance and delivery of

responses that have been processed by each party.

Interpersonal communication also plays a role in

changing and developing each other, these changes

through interaction in communication, parties

involved to inspire, encourage and encourage in order

to change thoughts, feelings and attitudes in

accordance with the topic studied together.

Interpersonal communication is the process of

exchanging information and transferring

understanding between two or more people in a small

human group with various effects and feedback. In

conducting communication between individuals there

are also characteristics in conveying the message.

According to Devito in the book there are

characteristics in effective interpersonal

communication, namely; Openness, Empathy;

Supportiveness; Positiveness; Equality (Liliweri,

2015).

2.2 Self Disclosure

Effective communication one of them will occur if a

person is able to express his thoughts and feelings

openly, which is called self-disclosure. Self-

disclosure is the way individuals express feelings,

thoughts, aspirations and more about oneself to others

that are beneficial to self-development and effective

communication. Self disclosure is the process of

sharing information that a person does to others in a

communication message. In interpersonal

communication, Joseph Luft emphasizes that

everyone can know and not know about himself, nor

others (Liliweri, 2015). This is described in the Johari

Window:

ICOSOP 2022 - International Conference on Social and Political Development 4

Picture 2.1 Johari Window

I OPEN AREA

Known by ourselves

and known by others

II BLIND AREA

Known by others but not

known by ourselves

III HIDDEN

AREA Known by

ourselves but not

known by others

IV UNKNOWN

AREA Not known by

ourselves and not known

by others

Based on this concept, human behavior can be

described schematically as seen in the scheme above.

Field I, namely Open Field (Open Area) shows that

the activities carried out by a person are fully aware

of the person concerned, as well as by others, which

means there is openness, with other words nothing to

hide to others. Field II, the Blind Field describes that

a person's activities are known to others, but he

himself is unaware of what he is doing. Field III,

namely the Hidden Area (Hidden Area) is that the

activities carried out by a person are fully aware of

him, but cannot be known by others. This means that

such a person is secretive. Field IV, is the Unknown

Area. This field illustrates that a person's behavior is

not realized by himself and is unknown to others.

(Liliweri, 2015).

2.3 Health Communication

Health communication is defined as any aspect of

human-to-human communication related to health.

Specifically defined as all types of human

communication whose message is related to health

(Maisyaroh et al., 2020). This explains that health

communication is limited to messages sent or

received, i.e. the variety of messages related to the

world of health and influencing factors. Health

communication is a communication process

involving health, elements or participants of

communication. In health communication various

participants are involved in the health process

between doctors, patients, nurses, health

professionals or others. Health communication can

also be associated with disaster mitigation, disaster

mitigation is a series of efforts to reduce disaster risk,

both through physical development and awareness

and increased ability to face disaster threats

(Government Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia

Number 21 of 2008 concerning The Implementation

of Disaster Management, 2008)

2.4 Therapeutic Communication

Therapeutic communication is a shared experience

between counselors in this case counselors together

with residents who aim to solve resident problems.

The purpose of communication is to influence the

behavior of others. Kalther, et al (Purwoastuti, 2015)

said that therapeutic communication occurs with the

aim of helping residents who are professional by

using a personal approach based on feelings and

emotions. In this therapeutic communication there

must be an element of trust. Therapeutic

communication is not a work that can be ruled out but

must be planned, deliberate and is a professional

action. However, do not let it be too fun to work, then

forget the resident as a human being with a variety of

backgrounds and problems (Suranto, 2005)

Communication skills are critical skills that must be

possessed by a counselor. This communication is

called therapeutic communication is a

communication carried out by a counselor at the time

of intervention so as to provide therapeutic properties

for the resident healing process. Therapeutic

communication is an adjective associated with the art

of healing the healing process.

Communication in the field of nursing is a basis

and key of a nurse in carrying out her duties.

Communication is a process of creating relationships

between nurses and clients as well as with other

health workers. Without communication a person will

feel alienated and without communication also a

nursing action to meet the needs of the client will

experience very significant difficulties.

In health sciences there are therapeutic

communication objectives (Damaiyanti, 2010) are as

follows:

1. Helping residents to clarify also reduces the

burden of feelings and thoughts and can take action

to change the situation if the resident believes in what

is needed.

2. Reduce doubts, help in terms of taking effective

actions.

3. Affects others, the physical environment and

himself. Establishing a relationship with the resident

requires communication because communication is

the relationship itself, without such communication

the relationship is impossible. Good relationship

between counselor and resident so that residents are

satisfied with the services provided.

Therapeutic Communication of Health Workers Against Covid-19 Survivors in Medan City

3 METHODS

The approach taken in this study is to use a qualitative

approach. Qualitative research approach states

research that uses a natural background, with the

intention of interpreting phenomena that occur and

are carried out in a way involving existing methods.

Qualitative research is based on efforts to build their

researched views that are detailed, shaped, with

words, holistic images, and complex (Moleong,

2017)

Qualitative research referred to in this study is

trying to dig deep information without trying to

interfere with or influence the thoughts of informants.

The method used in this study is a qualitative

approach to the paradigm of positivism. (Sugiyono,

2011) Researchers not only want to describe how

therapeutic communication of NAKES (health

workers) in covid-19 patients.

4 RESULTS

This research conducted will run for approximately

six (6) months starting with observation of the

research location and location survey conducted to

see the condition of the location to be studied, then

after doing this the researcher conducts the

management of research permits so that they can

immediately conduct research and plunge

spaciousness. Furthermore, researchers make the

preparation of questions that will be asked to

informants in the field. After the question is

considered to meet the methodology requirements to

be given to informants in the field, namely Nakes

(Power Of Validity) who became an informant in this

study.

The research on The Latest Communication

conducted in the Medan city region of North Sumatra

is quite interesting and becomes its own challenge for

the research team in the midst of the Covid-19

pandemic that still exists in almost all regions of

Indonesia, even the city of Medan including from

several major cities outside the island of Java and Bali

that entered the red zone and still implemented PPKM

(lockdown) to level 4 even though until the end of

August 2021 when researchers made this research

report the number of exposed and deaths due to the

Covid-19 virus have decreased and those who

recovered have increased. This study in the field

found that the importance of good communication

between patients and people who treat them in

recovery after being infected with covid. This was

supported by therapeutic communication research on

patients and families of Covid 19 patients researched

by Tri Agus Yuarsa. In the study there are the same

results as the findings of the study conducted, namely,

families with patients who are treated in intensive

rooms will feel anxiety because they are confused

with the patient's condition, worried about financing

problems, less stable conditions with actions that are

not certain of the results until there is a shadow of

death. With therapeutic communication will create a

trusting relationship between the nurse and the

patient's family so that the nurse is able to explain the

patient's condition and the family can understand it.

This will help the family to be able to take the best

decision and will certainly provide satisfaction for

patients and families so that the anxiety will go down

by itself. (Tri Agus Yuarsa, 2022)

5 DISCUSSION

The health workers who become research informants

are those who have enough experience as health

workers because they have worked for more than 5

years. Informants already have deep work experience,

hopefully researchers can provide more information

about the latest communication they make to patients,

especially in dealing with patients exposed to Covid

19 or Covid19 survivors. After conducting interviews

with Nakes that have been data, there are various

kinds of information obtained from nakes about the

latest communication made by nakes to patients who

have contracted the Covid19 virus.

According to the Journal clinical nursing, good

communication techniques are needed to patients so

that they can understand and help patients in the

healing process. A new therapeutic communication

model "TAGEET" to help nurses engage

therapeutically with patients suspected or confirmed

with COVID-19. This new therapeutic

communication model will provide support for nurses

by managing themselves in order to care for others in

the COVID-19 environment (McCarthy et al, 2021).

These health workers in carrying out their

activities to assist patients exposed to covid 19 apply

communicative and persuasive services to patients.

Officers have an effective communication approach

to fostering COVID 19 patients' trust in nurses, as

some patients believe that stressors can worsen the

condition of COVID 19 patients. When nurse Nakes

provides psychological support with communication

can provide a sense of calm and confidence and foster

the patient's confidence to heal, so as to provide

opportunities for patients to communicate their sense

ICOSOP 2022 - International Conference on Social and Political Development 4

of heart makes patients more relaxed and comfortable

so as to increase immunity and speed up the healing

process of COVID 19 patients.

6 CONCLUSION

The conclusions obtained from this study are:

1. Therapeutic Communication of health

workers in the Recovery of Covid-19 Patients in

Medan is to provide more understanding and attention

to the community who are recovering health after

being exposed to the Covid-19 virus. The approach

can help residents to reduce the burden of feelings and

thoughts and can take action to change the situation

experienced by the patient.

2. In the results of the study, it can be seen that

what factors can hinder and support in the

Therapeutic Communication of health workers in the

Recovery of Covid-19 Patients, one of which is the

supporting factor of patient recovery is positive

communication from the patient's family that can help

arouse the spirit of post-recovery patients. While the

inhibiting factor of communication in patients

affected by Covid-19 is the number of negative news

spread that can trigger bad thoughts in patients so that

their health becomes bad again.

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Therapeutic Communication of Health Workers Against Covid-19 Survivors in Medan City