Question

Write three pages how communication in nursing especially team work can impact the patient care?

Answer 1

Communication:

Communication is defined as act of communicating, or the exchange of information between individuals or groups. Communication can be written, verbal, or non-verbal. Communication can be largely affected (93%) by body language and tone of voice. Communication is the reciprocal process where messages are received and sent between two or more individuals. Communication involves exchange of ideas, or opinion, which could be in form oral or written form. On the other hand, communication involves a series of information or message that people send out or receive using senses such as touching, seeing and hearing.

Professional communication:

Professional communication is very critical in a healthcare profession because it enhances safe and effective healthcare delivery. The professional communication system is generally based on the organization culture and ethics; however, the content of professional communication must be simple, clear and written in formal language to enhance clarity and quality of the communication.

Some forms of the professional communication clarity, accuracy, conciseness, preciseness and sensitivity are mentioned in the article Professional Communication and Practice (GCU, 2013). Professional communication is a skill every nurse needs, especially one with a graduate education.

Being in the healthcare industry, we communicate with a wide range of health care providers in different fields almost every day. When we speak to them about our patients, it is vital that we speak to them in a language that is easily understood, stating the truthfulness of the matter in a few words as needed to get to the point.

Communication failures could lead to a disastrous outcome between nurses and patients. Personal appearance starts with professional communication and personal appearance includes Attire, Facial expression and eye contact, Movement and gestures, Grooming, Pace of walking, Physical characteristics and Posture.

More importantly, personal appearance should complement pace of speaking, tone of voice, and other non-verbal components. Ex: Use of proper grammar, speak with a clear tone and voice, careful listening and preparing with pertinent information.

Patient centered care: It is one of the affective, valuable and meaningful care, which was providing to an individual patients. The IOM (Institute of Medicine) also states it is a responsive and respectful patient preferences care. An effective communication taken placed between the nurse and patient is essential competency for nursing care practice and for patient centered care. The nurse good communication skills can allows building up a better interpersonal relationship among the patients and it prevents and reduces the communication barrier. It can help to identify the patient needs during the care process.

Teamwork is essential to provide the highest quality of care for patients. It is important to get known to the team members. So team orientation is initial step before working as a team. This helps in flexibility of work and reduces burden also produce smooth working environment. The competency needed here is to understand the other team member properly and also having good interpersonal relationship. So there will be good cooperation and communication also can easily find the strength and weakness of team members.

Effective collaboration is needed among the health team workers for the easy and smooth working condition. It again comprises of team members and other heath related workers, patient and their family. Here also the important competency is to have good communication and interpersonal relationship between the people. So it helps to convey information easily and can work cooperatively without barriers between.

We work in interdisciplinary teams and must cooperate with each other to provide the most effective, safe and efficient care for patients. So its a team work and team management is important task. There will be a manager or leader to guide the team. The important factor needed for management is leadership quality or managing quality but for that again it is important to build good interpersonal relationship between the team members and manager. So communication helps to reduce and solve team conflicts and helps in good quality working condition.

All these areas the individual team members can survive through good rapport and relationship with other team members and for that they should have good communication skills and understanding capacity.

Reference:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (b). TeamSTEPPS.  

Flynn, J.P., Prufeta, P. & Minghillo-Lipari, L. (2010). An evidence-based approach to taking charge.  American Journal of Nursing, (9) 110, 58-63.

Sigman, S. J. 1998. Relationships and communication: A social communication and strongly consequential view. In R. L. Conville & L. E. Rogers (eds.), The meaning of “relationship” in interpersonal communication. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 41–82.