Communication is the process or the act of exchanging or expressing information to someone else. However, due to several reasons at times the information communicated may be misunderstood or misinterpreted. Thus, in such a case the respondent ends up doing contrary to what was expected. In most cases, this leads to negative consequences, especially in a clinical setting. The paper addresses a miscommunication sample case which could result in negative impacts when it takes place in a healthcare setting, with not nurses but doctors. A sample representative case has been chosen for privacy and confidentiality, I will now explain it below. Miscommunication in clinical practice Although health care activities were usually carried out ordinarily and everything was as usual in the facility, one day the unexpected happened. There were two shifts for the health providers’ staffs. One ran from 8:30 to 7:30 in the evening and the other one from 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning. So, one day, the electricity went off at around 7:20 pm. There was a problem since the generator was not functioning properly and thus those health providers who were to come in for the next shift were running up and down trying to see how they would be able to run the facility that night without power. Suddenly, a critically ill patient was brought in by the ambulance in the emergency room. The patient was unconscious, but those who presented him, gave out documents that showed the patients had previously
Within a health care setting communication is a necessity. This communication not only includes the need for professional communication but also the way in which information is shared to the patient and to other healthcare workers. Another important aspect of health care worker such as a nurse is the effectiveness off a handover. Within the video, Effective Communication in nursing these three aspects of communication (Professional communication, provision of information and handover) were seen and will be analysed further, within this essay. These will be analysed through the three aspects, the care of the patient, the image of the individual nurse and the health outcomes of the patient. All of these three aspects of communication are vitally important to the overall patient needs.
Patients in acute care settings are often wholly dependent on the professional care nurses provide to them. Patient safety in intensive care units has long been a topic of interest and is dependent on many factors. Recently, patient safety and outcomes in relation to the staffing of registered nurses (RNs) have been topics of much research to identify how much impact staffing really has on patient outcomes. The overwhelming majority of studies conducted have found that the number of nursing staff providing care is strongly correlated with patient outcomes (Institute of Medicine, 2004).
The practice of nursing utilizes constant communication between nurses, patients, physicians, coworkers, and various other members of the healthcare team. It is clear that effective communication is vital in the provision of safe and effective nursing care. A long history of miscommunication-related medical errors has spurred research aimed toward improving communication and lessening consequent error. Research has identified various forms of communication structure acronyms that when used correctly, allows for a more organized and precise shift report. These acronyms include SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, and SHARE (Standardize, Hardwire, Allow opportunities to ask questions, Reinforce, and Educate). In addition, studies have identified a more effective shift report location that enhances nurse-to-nurse as well as nurse-to-patient communication. Bedside reporting was explored and determined to be a very effective form of nursing report that increases overall patient safety and satisfaction. Communication improvement is a continuous focus within the healthcare arena and is vital in the provision of safe patient care.
This paper will attempt to prove Mr. Ard did NOT have the chance to survive due to the lack of supervision from his nursing staff. As well as attempt to prove that the employer is in fact responsible for the actions or non-actions of its medical staff. The medical staff during that time did not make the necessary and they did not provide the proper care that one is required in a medical setting. There was a lack of communication between the staff and patient till it was too late. For two hours the bell was being rung and no one of assistance came by. Where were the nurses? Were they off the clock, on lunch, asleep, or were they just simply not doing their duty?
Using effective communication strategies between healthcare practitioners and patients is essential to ensure high-quality and safe patient outcomes. As health care becomes more complex, the focus for organizations and health care professionals is focused on processes that facilitate clear communication and collaboration, that in turn improves patient safety and outcomes (Rosenstein, Dinklin, & Munro, 2014). Successful collaboration and improved outcomes is directly related to the quality of communication. Effective communication in a healthcare organization engages staff, conveys trust, and sets expectations for accountability (Men, 2014).
Effective communication is one of the utmost characteristics of a high-quality health care model that responds to the existing needs of the general population. However, communication may sometimes be taken for granted and therefore fail to relay important information between health care providers within the interprofessional team. In today’s health care setting, communication is particularly challenging due to the limited time constrain in the workplace. In spite of the utilization of existing charts and documentation, errors are made. In this paper, a real life clinical scenario is discussed which involved a breakdown of
On many occasions, I have seen situations in which effective communication involving the professional healthcare team played a vital role in the positive outcome of patient care. On the other hand, there have been miscommunication between the healthcare team resulting in situations that could have been tragic to the patient.
Patient A was assigned several nurses during her three days stay at the hospital. Everything went well until the second night at the hospital room. A new nurse was
Communication plays a vital role in the healthcare setting, as the relationship with the healthcare professional sets the tone of the care experience and has a powerful impact on patient satisfaction. It is “the shared process in which messages are sent and received between two or more people which are made up of a sender, receiver, and message in a particular context” (cite, date). This essay highlights the importance of, and some common barriers to, effective communication in the healthcare setting. It involves many interpersonal skills such as effective observation, questioning and listening, giving feedback, recognizing and removing barriers.
I was assigned to work at Hospital 1. On a Friday morning during our medication rounds with my preceptor, our attention was drawn by one of the caregiver’s report about a resident who is experiencing difficulty in breathing.
It was claimed that the nurses, even though they picked up signs/symptoms of a medical emergency in their assessments, did not do enough to see that those concerns were addressed by the physician on duty. They would argue that had the matter been pursued further, the patient’s true injuries could have been diagnosed and treated earlier. Earlier treatment could have prevented the permanent damage and injuries the patient would sustain due to a delay in treatment.
A weakness in communication between interdisciplinary team members can impact patient safety and health . A recent study revealed that out of all the claims analyzed , 57 percent of malpractice cases reflected miscommunication between two or more healthcare providers (Riah, 2015). In fact, the same communication failures directly linked to 1,744 deaths over the past five years (Budryk, 2016). During my clinical placement this semester I have witnessed the overwhelming number of health care team members that are involved in each patient’s care. I also take part in morning nursing rounds where all nurses are updated on every patient’s status. Transmission of permanent patient information is also relayed to all members of the health team via the patient chart .Here , interdisciplinary notes all come together to form updated health information on patients. However, although I have read interdisciplinary notes from all team members , I rarely have had the opportunity to personally communicate with members other than doctors and nurses. Personal communication allows for a team member to pass on relevant information in a timely manner without the possibility or misinterpretations. When communication is strictly done non-verbally, it is impossible to ask any questions.. This is why communication between professionals in health care is essential for patient safety and improved quality of care (Koivunen, Niemi., & Hupli,2015). There are 3 main factors that cause miscommunication
Throughout the Resident Care Conference, our team demonstrated effective communication techniques such as simplicity, active listening and eye contact. First, Simplicity of words is using general words or choosing words to make it easier to understand (Kozier , et al, 2014 ) . For example, during the IPE event, instead of using medical words, health care professionals choose words that simple words like: difficulty in swallowing instead of using the word "dysphagia". Simplicity of words are making easier for the client to easily understand the information that the health care team is trying to explain. Second, active listening is paying attention to what is the client and/or family member is telling to the health care team regards to the client's health concern.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council highlight the importance of communication in their code of conduct. Being a nurse comes with many responsibilities such as; updating patients periodically about their health status, speaking to them politely and patiently and making them feel comfortable and reassured (Danielle Brown, 2014). For any health care professional it is important they use the right language and terminology when updating a patient on their condition. By doing so, this gives them a clearer understanding of their condition (Donnelly and Nevelle, 2008). It’s important for nurses to recognise what they’re saying to their patients. In the health care setting it is very easy for information to be misunderstood and this may cause conflict or frustration. This is one of the many reasons why it’s important to be aware of the
Communication is the leading factor in heath care errors (book). (Treas & Wilkinson Book p463) defines communication as “a dynamic, reciprocal process of sending and receiving messages. The messages may be verbal, non-verbal,