Improving Patient Safety Through a Nursing Lens
The purpose of this academic paper is to explore how the concept of communication within the healthcare setting challenges nurses from ensuring patient safety. Using evidence-based literature, this paper will discuss concerns related to patient safety and communication within the nursing world, two interventions that are currently being practiced in order to address these concerns, and one other unique intervention which can adequately elucidate these concerns.
Communication & Patient Safety
A fundamental aspect within the nursing scope of practice is to profoundly maintain patient safety through the implementation of safe, ethical, and competent nursing care (Canadian Nurses Association, 2002).
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Shift report has been recognized as a period when chances for futile communication contribute to jeopardizing patient safety (Boshart, Knowlton, & Whichello, 2016). Performing patient shift report near the bedside fosters effective communication between healthcare providers and patients through a transparent and open conversation. Research shows that bedside report allows nurses’ to effectively take accountability for patient safety as it allows them to directly visualize the patients and family in order to discuss information and plan for their care (Baker, 2010). Bedside handoff gives patients the opportunity to become actively involved in the process of developing a successful care plan. Patients are provided with the chance to hear and see the group of healthcare professionals who are involved in their plan of care. Encouraging patient involvement within the plan of care allows for a decrease in ineffective communication as it allows for better compliance to treatment (Taylor & Julia, …show more content…
For instance, the aviation field actively implements the “sterile cockpit” as part of its standard routine of attaining client safety. The Federal Aviation Administration officially implemented the “sterile cockpit” amongst all aviation organizations, in order to decrease the rising incidence of plane crashes occurring as a result of disruptions (Hohenhaus & Powell, 2008, p. 109). Through the implementation of the sterile cockpit, aviation pilots are able to maintain adequate concentration without unnecessary distractions, as the airplanes fly 10 000 feet above the ground (Hohenhaus & Powell, 2008, p. 109). Similarly, the nursing profession can also implement the sterile cockpit during the process of shift report, where persistent disruptions are at a rise and alter the chances for effective communication. If all healthcare units had an area specific to patient reporting, the chances for ensuring patient safety could drastically increase. Moreover, team members can take additional measures in reducing disruptions by responding to paging systems, patient and family concerns, and call bells as healthcare providers engage in patient reporting with members of the interprofessional
Searches were made through the online library at Grand Canyon University. Results were refined to include on peer reviewed studies with keywords as combinations of: Safety briefing (45 results), patient safety plus nursing plus communication (1769), patient safety and interdisciplinary (45). Of the results obtained, the list was further refined to those studies that discussed the issue of communication in a team environment and risk of errors, or leadership follow up. Studies were not included if they were considered to be out of scope for the issue. Ultimately ten articles were identified as being pertinent to the subject, or had conclusions that could be extrapolated to the issue in question. From these search results four studies have been chosen for this paper to support the relevance of the issue.
The shift report is an integral component of patient care due to the fact that it advances patient safety and maintains continuity of care. Shift reporting promotes best practices through communication among nursing staff, therefore, promoting professional socialization. Furthermore, shift report influences staff retention and quality of patient care by improving informational, social and organizational functions. The expertise and knowledge in shift reporting can be used to promote interdependence and teamwork. When compared to traditional reporting, bedside shift reporting has such advantages as enhancing time management, social interaction, peer support and procedural training. Shift reports taken and given at the bedside benefit patients as well. Many patients have expressed improved satisfaction and nursing accountability with bedside shift reports. For instance, an orthopedic unit manager, who dropped the traditional staffroom reporting and handover and replaced it with a patient-led system, reported increased patient satisfaction because her patients felt that they were in control.
Bedside reporting involves giving information or a report to the oncoming nurse in the presence of a patient. This method gives the patient an opportunity to ask questions and get clarification regarding his or her care. Bedside reporting increases patient satisfaction, quality of healthcare and nurse-to-nurse responsibility. Hospitals need to design a better handoff process that can easily reduce patient risks and increase patients’ involvement in their care. Emergency rooms shift reports usually take place at the nursing station of every patient care area. The departing nurse gives information verbally to the oncoming shift. Therefore,
Verbal communication between the nurses during shift change or simply writing a progress report on the status of the patient does not cater to the needs of the patient, it is a mere communication method that is unreliable and nurse perception of the written report are often molded with bias and does not wholly represent the patient’s holistic health care needs. As dictated by Caruso (2007), “Change of shift signifies a time of carful communication in order to promote patient safety and best practices... [the risk exists of] relaying important information becomes muddled by irrelevant information instead...” (p.17). In essence, implementation of bedside nurse shift report/handover deems to provide the most opportune outcomes and focuses on patient-centered
The aim of this project is to educate nursing staff regarding the evidence-based practice of bedside shift reporting. A greater awareness of proper handoffs can result in improved patient outcomes and nursing satisfaction within the health care setting.
Bedside shift reporting, is it necessary? Baker (2010) states that is has its benefits, from patient safety, increased patient involvement and staff teamwork, ownership and accountability.” (Baker, 2010) To promote stronger engagement, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality developed the Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety for bedside reporting. (AHRQ, 2013)
healthcare organization accrediting bodies, and to maintain credibility with patients and peers alike, must adhere to the National Patient Safety Goals. As stated by Ulrich and Kear (2014), "Not only are nurses responsible for providing safe patient care, we are also responsible for creating an environment in which others can provide safe patient care, and for being the last line of defense when needed between the patient and potential harm. Having a deep understanding of patient safety and patient safety culture allows nurses to be the leaders we need to be in ensuring that our patients are always
Not everyone is open to change, and some nurses feel that bedside reporting may interfere with patient privacy and patient well-being, which could lead to non-compliance.(Joshi, Currier, & O'Brien, 2011). Nurses might feel unsure about what exactly bedside reporting is, and what it should include in terms of the nursing need-to-know versus the patient need-to-know (Joshi, Currier, & O'Brien, 2011). In situations such as this, the Nurse Bedside Shift Report: Implementation Handbook would be beneficial to any hospital considering the implementation of bedside report. It would be used as a uniform standard of care, and take the guesswork out of what is actually expected of the nursing
Effective communication during a patient handoff is critical in ensuring patient-care quality and safety and bedside shift reports have been found to increase patient involvement and satisfaction (Wakefield, Ragan, Brandt, and Tregnago, 2012). Bedside shift report is viewed as an opportunity to reduce errors and ensure improved communication between nurses (Gregory, Tan, Tilrico, Edwardson, and Gamm, 2014). Improved communication between nurses can be beneficial for all involved. In response to the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals, bedside report has been supported as improving patient safety, patient-centered care, and nurse communication as well as reducing medical errors (Gregory, et al., 2014). Ofori-Atta, Biniend, and Chalupka’s (2015) article examines statistics regarding hospital care and shows that according to the Inspector General Office, Health and Human Services
Communication in shift change plays a major role in the nursing practice and role. Appropriate and effective communication is a tool assisting nurses in providing safe, thorough and quality cares about their patients and ensuring there is continued service delivery. Realizing the critical role of their patients and patients’ families in promoting patient safety, nurses need to engage their patients and family members in the whole communication process of exchanging information and planning the care. Nurses need to give their patients chances to participate in the discussion their health conditions, upcoming procedures, medical information, or treatment options. Bedside reporting give nurses opportunities to visualize the physical and psychological needs of their patients. Change of shift reporting is also a situation where the nurses exchange their clinical knowledge, and patients’ condition changes and allow their patients to express their understandings, concerns, and questions. This paper seeks to analyze bedside report and explain its relevance to the nursing practice.
The hand over process of communication between nurses to nurses is done with the intention of transferring essential information for safe, and patient centered care. Traditionally, this shift report has been done away from the patient’s bedside, at the nurse’s station, or other place like staff’s room. In addition, the shift report used to be delivered through audio recording of the patient’s information. These reporting mechanisms did not include face-to-face reporting of the patient information, nor involvement of patient. Therefore, information regarding the patient’s care was not shared with the patient, leaving them out of his/her own care plan. Recent studies and development of Patient Centered Care Philosophy have challenged this belief of giving a report away from the patient. Tan (2015) said, “Shift report must not only be restricted in nurse to nurse communication, but it must involve patients as the recipients of care” (p. 1). Incorporating the patient into the end of shift report is essential for providing patient centered care and patient satisfaction. Nurses at the St Jude Medical center in the acute in-patient rehabilitation unit are not exceptional. Most of the end of the shift report between nurses are still done away from the patient. Aim of this paper is to make a change in the work place, which is the process of giving end of shift report at the bedside incorporating patient and families in the acute in-patient rehabilitation unit at St Jude Medical
It is essential as a Registered Nurse and nursing student to ensure that a comprehensive safe and quality of practice is achieved, resulting in goals and outcomes being met positively improving the nursing needs of people. This standard is important to my scope of practice, as being a nursing student it is for me to ensure goals and outcomes are being achieved to ensure the safety and wellness to those I am caring for.
Traditionally, nurses debrief other nurses during a shift change in the hospital setting at either the nurses’ station or in a conference room. They may or may not communicate with doctors and other hospital staff using these same techniques. Some hospitals have switched to discussing the patient for shift changes purposes at the patient’s bedside, as part of a refocused patient-centered care model developed to reduce errors and to keep patients better informed in the process. The benefits of utilizing a bedside nurse patient handoff reporting process within the hospital setting greatly outweigh any possible risk or inconvenience when compared with alternative or traditional options.
Traditionally, nursing shift-to-shift reports were organized methods of communication between only the oncoming and leaving nurse, designated to a location such as the central nursing station or nook of a hallway. Shift reports can be considered the foundation of how the day is going to plan out because it introduces the patient, diagnoses, complications, medications, consults, upcoming test and the entire plan of care. These reports are full of complicated and vital information and while set in certain locations that are vulnerable to interruptions, such as the nursing station, medical errors and miscommunication are more likely to be made. The Joint Commission’s 2009 and 2010 National Patient Safety Goals (Joint Commission, 2015) included two patient safety standards, first to encourage patients to be involved in their health care plan and second, to implement a standardized communication process for handoff reports between providers. Soon after in 2013, The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality under the United States Department of Health and Human Services introduced a set of strategies to improve patient engagement along with safety and quality in patient care. Within these strategies the new method of nurse bedside shift report was developed, which suggests nurses to conduct shift-to-shift reports at bedside in the room of each patient, rather than out of the room. The benefits of this new method were
Effective communication is selective of the information comprising of current patient state being handed over between caregivers resulting in continuity and safety for the patient (Kear, 2016)Click and drag to move . Handoff ideas that are systematically reviewed and these aim at ensuring specific information encompassing patient safety is passed on. Different acronyms are used to help ease the handoff process. Kear 2016 highlighted SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation, and patient); I PASS the BATON- Introduction, patient, assesment, situation, safety concerns,background,actions,timing,ownership,next; Five Ps- Patient,plan,purposeof plan, problem, precaution; Five Ps- patient, precautions, plan of care, problems, purpose. All these highlighted tools have similar realtime assement inquiries and most importantly assess for patient safety when taking