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The purpose of this study was to identify health professionals’ perceptions of health professionals’ own unkind behavior and the effects of this unkind behavior using a phenomenological research methodology. Understanding of this phenomena should enlighten health professionals to interaction and relationship problems between patient and health professionals and thus lead to further research toward enhancing these interaction and relationships. The subjects were 10 doctors in a university hospital in Seoul & Pusan, and 26 nurses in a university hospital in Seoul. Data were collected form January 23 to February 17, 1991 and from July 29 to August 4, 1991. The research questions were "What behavior do you as health professionals perceive as unkind and what effect does such behavior have in patients?". Responses to the non-structured open-ended questions were audio-recorded during the interviews done by two nurses researchers. Data were analyzed using the phenomenological method of Colaizzi. The validity was enhanced by confirmation of the analysis by two nursing clinical researchers, and professor of philosophy, all knowledgeable of phenomenological research. From the protocols, 90 significant statements about unkind behavior were organized into 33 formulating meanings which were than grouped into five theme clusters. Health professionals perceived own unkind behavior as being cold, insincere, unconcerned, disregardful, and so forth. From the protocols, 47 significant statements about the influence of such behavior on patient care were organized into 16 formulating meanings which were than grouped into three them clusters. Health professionals perceived these unkind behavior influencing then emotionally, and having negative effects on their compliance with medical and nursing care, and so forth. The study points to the need for health professionals to understand difference of both perceptions about unkind behavior. This perceptions of health professional and patient’s unkind behavior may suggest that professionals have exellent medical knowledge and skill and that they be sincere, concerened, respectful and warm emotionally toward their patients. In addition, This suggest that health professionals and medical institutions must do their best for positive improvements.
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