Physician-Nurse Communication Case Study

Communication is only effective when the receiver understands the message conveyed just as the sender wanted to. There are opportunities for improvement in the areas of communication network within Baptist Memorial Healthcare. I have observed a breakdown in communication between nurses and the patients they are caring for. A lot of times the nurse companion phones that the nurses are issued do not work properly. In this instance, the nurse is unaware of patient’s specific needs. There is not a direct line of communication to inform the nurse that the patient needs assistance. The organization is aware of this fact and is implementing training on new nurse companion phones, so that; the needs of the patient are met in a timely fashion. There

Communication is any form of expressing and receiving of messages between individuals. The importance of Communication in the nursing profession is to maintain high quality care for the patient but also maintain effective collaboration between professionals. Boykins, D (2014) states that the “registered nurse is expected to communicate in various formats and in all areas of practice”. Various formats include speaking to patients and coworkers as well as utilizing appropriate protocols and systems to effectively communicate regards to patient’s status.

An imperative element of Interprofessional practice is communication, that not only between patients, but also between healthcare colleagues. Communication restricts, controls and determines the timing and amount of practitioner intervention– making it essential that consistent interaction between other healthcare professionals occurs to prevent ill management of the patient. A journal article titled “Role understanding and effective communication as core competencies for collaborative practice” written by Suter et al. in 2009 describes team meetings and shared patient data as two simple procedures that involve and prepare members to meticulously care for their patients, referencing also Interprofessional worker’s appreciation for any disposition to learn, adapt and improve professionally and clinically during care. The process of referrals also plays a large part in communication.

Communication involves information being sent, received and decoded between two or more people (Balzer-Riley 2008) and involves the use of a number of communication skills; which in a nursing context generally focuses on listening and giving information to patients (Weller 2002). This process of sending and receiving messages has been described as both simple and complex (Rosengren 2000 in McCabe 2006, p.4). It is a process which is continually utilised by nurses to convey and receive information from the patient, co-workers, others they come into contact with and the patient’s family.

Holistic healthcare demands interpersonal collaboration within the nurses and the community for the excellent care of the patient. For example, for a patient suffering from a mental disorder, it is necessary for the nurses to collaborate with each other as well as with the social workers assigned to the patient and his family, which is true if the patient is also a guardian. (Wagner, Liston, & Miller, 2011). The nurses will have to take medical care of the patient while the social worker tends to his social needs such as the welfare of his family. Therefore, it is imperative that the nursing and social work personnel have good communication skills. Communication enhances teamwork that will lead to the caregivers sharing insights and ideas with

Rice, K., Zwarenstein, M., Conn, L., Kenaszchuk, C., Russell, A., & Reeves, S. (2010). An intervention to improve interprofessional collaboration and communications: A comparative qualitative study. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 24(4), 350-361.

Communication can be defined as a process during which information is shared through the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages (Brooks & Heath, 1985), whereby people create a relationship by interacting with each other (Groogan, 1999). When examining communication within a patient safety and nursing context, its significance becomes evident not only in the nurse-patient relationship, but also the

Communication in nursing is important in patient teaching, patient understanding, and patient care; it is important to have the ability to communicate with the healthcare team, the patient, and the patient’s

As a nursing student at the University of Miami, I am extremely thrilled to finish my degree and move on towards getting my certification as a Nurse Practitioner. When it comes to the medical field, I was always aware that it would not be an easy career path but I knew it would be worth it and was constantly reminded that by my family members who themselves are in the medical field. In addition, while communication is essential in all careers, it is exceedingly crucial in the career of nursing. Throughout the hospital, there are separate units in which the medical staff must be communicating effectively in order to have a smoothly operating hospital. With having a well-organized and structured hospital, this also decreases the risk of medical errors made by the lack of communication between nurses and physicians.

I agree that having someone who speaks the same language available during nurse-patient interactions is imperative to ensure successful communication. In working with patients and families who are dealing with end of life issues, the first choice is to have a person certified as a translator/interpreter present during the interaction. The face-to-face communication allows the interpreter the opportunity to use the verbal communication and the non-verbal communication of the patient as part of the interpretation.

The communication received at medical visits sets a standard for the next visit and so on. After a bad visit the patients can lose interest in going back to receive medical attention in times of need. Approximately 75% of the group surveyed conveyed that they were satisfied with the communication received from their medical staff even explained how great the staff cleared up confusion. One individual stated a different view criticizing a visit for the nurses "Not being personal and using only quick chit chat". From the surveys answered it can be presumed that most nursing communication is satisfying to patients. One in Three people surveyed had specific feeling of how communication in the nursing field should be changed by what they have

The need to collaborate among other healthcare disciplines becomes more crucial for professional nurses, as the delivery of care to patients becomes more complex. “Quality and safety for patients rely on effective communication among all health team members” (Hood 104.)

"Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration for Improving Patient Health Outcomes Communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals are critical to delivering high quality and safe patient care" (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008 p. 3).

Barriers to nurse/nursing aide communication explains nursing aides are interviewed about communication process between themselves and the registered nurses. When asked why they believe that information doesn’t get passed along, the majority stated the negative attitude of the registered nurses towards them. Many of them report that nurses are condescending and rude. Teamwork is essential when caring for patients. Patient care may suffer when teamwork is lacking. Safe and successful patient care is dependent on teamwork. (Capek, Pascarella, & Waymard-Tomlinson, 2013) The article also states that educational level plays a role on the ineffective communication between clinical partners. Training should involve learning how to give a comprehensive report. (Friesen, White, & Byers, 2008)

Nurses tend to spend more time with patients than any other member of the health care team. As a person that spends a lot of time with each patient, he or she is a communicator for the patients in view of the fact that they interact with all roles within the healthcare system. Ms. Jennings states that “As a communicator, the nurse understands that effective communication