Patient Communication Sample Essay

Patient Communication

Communication is essential in every aspect of life and is a building block to establish trust relationships with other people whom we come in contact with on a daily bases. As nurses, we serve the needs of human biopsychosocial and spiritual beings. Though this is not just scientific knowledge, but also interpersonal, intellectual and technical abilities and skills.  As nurses, we have to have the expertise of clinical work, and interpersonal communication(Kourkouta&Papathanasiou, 2014).  The nurse-patient relationship is conceptualized as a professional, therapeutic relationship, established with the goal to meet the needs and health care outcomes of the patient, cause no harm to them and assisted in recovery(Feo, Rasmussen, Wiechula, Conroy, &Kitson, 2017).  It essential for us as health care providers to understanding the types of communication are apart of building these relationships, what influences the good and bad experiences during the process, understanding how this impacts healthcare outcomes, and look at better ways to improve the communication between nurse and patient. Patient Communication Sample Essay

Types of Communication between patient and nurse

Breaking down the forms of communication between a nurse and patient can go in many different directions. Though with the overall goal to be effective in your approach, understanding the patient and the experiences they express. What we want as nurses are to establish a therapeutic relationship in which the patient feels comfortable being open and honest with us (Doherty & Thompson, 2014).  The types of communication seen between patient and nurse are both verbal and non-verbal communication. The non-verbal communication is shown with eye contact, the stance of a nurse or patient, touch, and concerning physical space between patient and nurse.  Verbal communication can happen unintentionally or purposefully (O’Hagan et al., 2013).   Communicating involves the nurse to use open-ended questions allowing patients to express feelings, and to assess present mood. Showing empathy and compassion for the patient, which involves actively listening to the patient and understanding what they are trying to say. Listening is a crucial part of the building the therapeutic relationship requiring the nurse to remain silent and let the patient talk by giving them all your attention (Doherty & Thompson, 2014). Patient Communication Sample Essay

Factors influencing positive and negative experiences

When looking at the factors that come into building effective communication between patient and nurse its essential to separate the two.  From a patient perceptive the setting in which care provided can affect the care such as lack of privacy, or noise. The fear of judgment of our feeling of being can have an impact on patient’s communication. When looking at it from a health care provider perspective, things such as high workload, or decrease in staffing can cause negative experiences (Bramhall&, 2014).  Older adult populations can create a negative experience for both nurse and patient due to hearing impairment, a decrease in visual acuity, and cognition (Daly, 2017). Some other issues can arise with gender-related care in that female patients being less comfortable in the care of a male nurse. Another impact on communication comes with a patient treated with language barriers. From the perspective of a nurse, it can be hard to relate to the patient and feel able to provide efficient care. From a patient perspective, it can cause extra emotion in an already scary situation for them, and cause them not to feel safe in the care provided. Patient Communication Sample Essay

Impact on health care outcomes

Research has shown that communication problems are the single most significant cause of nearly 70% of sentinel events in hospital settings.  In a study done by examining the results of ten different studies from 1997-2014, involving nurse-patient relationship  (NPR) in health outcomes it produces.  Studies that were used from the patient perspective, patient nurse perspective, and nurse perspective to evaluate results. The emerging themes showed improvements NPR in ways of understanding one another perceptive; shows an increase in patients power over their health, identified different needs and changes in patients health, increased trust within the NPR, improved patient well-being, and increased responsibility of the nurse to the patients care (Strandas&Bondas, 2017). Patient Communication Sample Essay

Evidence-based Research Strategy for improving communication

Support, Empathy, Truth (S.E.T.) is a communication tool structured to enhance communication with a patient in a three-part method. The tool is designed to help clinicians us concise, consistent communication.  The Support section emphasizes the speaker’s feelings, such as, ” I’m worried about the infection on your legs.” The Empathy section shows acknowledgment to patient’s feelings, and what they are going through example being, “Tell me how the pain feels for you, and what helps best to make it better?” The Truth section recognizes the problem and looks for an answer to it. Example of this would be, ” How do you plan you get to your prescriptions filled after leaving the hospital?”  During the implementation phase, there will be a three-step process. During phase one patient response to the communication is collected over a 3-month period before the implementation, and after. Phase two includes e-mailing 50 of the RN employed on the unit, describing the project, and with the goal of 75 percent participation to move forward. The participants provided with communications strategies, role-playing developed with S.E.T. and 1-hour training course. Participants in the study take a pre- and post-intervention test. Phase three begins after the 6-month data collection. The original participants will be sent emails to join a focus group, with the goal of 50 percent participation group. Long-term goals are to increases nursing communication strategies and increase patient satisfaction scores(Annonio et al., 2016).  Patient Communication Sample Essay

Demographics

The participants in the S.E.T. were broken down into Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity, Highest nursing education, Experience as a nurse, and Years on the unit.  Overall out of the 25 employees on the group 19 employees participated. The intention included primarily of female employees (68%), White (84%), and age 26 to 35 (58%). The education was broken down as diploma nursing (16%), associate degree (42%), or BSN (42%). The majority of the participants had 0 to 5 years experience as a nurse and on the unit(Annonio et al., 2016).

References

Annonio, D., Hoffman, L., Zedreck, J., Robertson, L., &Tuite, P. (2016). Ready, S.E.T., go Improving patient-nurse communication .Nursing Management (Springhouse), 47(3), 40-49. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000480760.76675.8f

Bramhall, E. (2014).Effective communication skills in nursing practice.Nursing Standard (2014+); London, 29(14), 53. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.7748/ns.29.14.53.e9355

Daly, L. (2017). Effective communication with older adults Effective communication with older adults Effective communication with older adults Effective communication with older adults.Nursing Standard (2014+); London, 31(41), 55. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.7748/ns.2017.e10832

Doherty, M., & Thompson, H. (2014). Enhancing person-centred care through the development of a therapeutic relationship. British Journal Of Community Nursing, 19(10), 502-507. http://dx.doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2014.19.10.502

Feo, R., Rasmussen, P., Wiechula, R., Conroy, T., &Kitson, A. (2017). Developing effective and caring nurse-patient relationships. Nursing Standard (2014+); London, 31(28), 54. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.7748/ns.2017.e10735

Foronda, C., MacWilliams, B., & McArthur, E. (2016). Interprofessional communication in healthcare: An integrative review. Nurse Education in Practice; Kidlington, 19, 36-40. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1016/j.nepr.2016.04.005. Patient Communication Sample Essay

Gluyas, H. (2015). Effective communication and teamwork promotes patient safety. Nursing Standard (2014+); London, 29(49), 50. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.7748/ns.29.49.50.e10042

Kourkouta, L., &Papathanasiou, I. V. (2014). Communication in Nursing Practice.MateriaSocio-Medica; Sarajevo, 26(1), 65-67. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.5455/msm.2014.26.65-67

O’Hagan, S., Manias, E., Elder, C., Pill, J., Woodward-Kron, R., McNamara, T., … McColl, G. (2013). What counts as effective communication in nursing? Evidence from nurse educators’ and clinicians’ feedback on nurse interactions with simulated patients. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(6), 1344-1356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jan.12296

Strandas, M.,&Bondas, T. (2017). The nurse-patient relationship as a story of health enhancement in community care: A meta-ethnography. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 74(1), 11-22. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi-org.library.capella.edu/10.1111/jan.13389

NURSE-PATIENT COMMUNICATION IN PATIENT CARE 2
Nurse-Patient communication in Patient Care
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the seven princess of patient-clinician
communication, how they affect patient care and the importance of ethics and how to relates to
outcomes of patient safety in real life practice. This paper will discuss my experiences in my
practice and how effective communication is applied within the interdisciplinary system.
Principles of Communication
There are seven principles involved in patient-clinician communication which all focus
around the goal of effective communication. “Effective communication requires clarity about
patient and clinician roles, responsibilities, and expectations for health care; principles to guide
the spirit and nature of patient-clinician communication; and approaches to tailor communication
appropriately to circumstances” as stated by Paget et al. (2011, p.2). As a nurse we use these
principles every day in our practice in order to deliver our best care possible. The first principle
is Mutual respect. In order to have a trusting nurse-patient relationship you must respect each
other in order to provide the best care. In my practice I show mutual respect by sitting down
with my patient and listening to their concerns and considering their needs and not rushing them
even though I may be busy.Patient Communication Sample Essay
The second principle is Harmonized goals. Conversations with patients and even their
family are important factors in determining their goals of care, while providing educational
aspects regarding the risks and benefits during the process. In my practice I am able to provide
an expectation to my patients before they go to surgery for such things as a colonoscopy or
placement of a heart stent and ensuring their are educated on the course of action and outcomes.
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A supportive environment is the third principle of communication, in which not only does
it involve the nurse and patient, but the whole care team is encompassed in the treatment process.
The clinician should practice compassion to allow the patient to have a sense of ease and comfort
during their difficult time. I partake in a supportive environment by being attentive to my
patients needs by premeditating my patients who are are suffering from the extreme pain of bed
sores and calming them when we have to deride the wound. Providing anti-emetic measures for
my patients who are struggling with intense nausea after a chemotherapy treatment.
Appropriate decision partners is the fourth principle and is important for the patient in all

circumstances no matter the diagnosis. Providers and nurses need to have the knowledge to

decide a plan of care for each patient specific to that population. On my med/surg floor it is
common to see a variety of doctors for different types of diseases, each specialized in their
practice. I had a patient who was admitted for weakness due to strep throat which was believed
to have manifested into her leg, giving her muscle pain, all while trying to rule out and prevent
necrotizing fasciitis. An attending was assigned as well as an ENT, Infectious disease,
Orthopedic surgeon and many of the imagining specialists to ensure care.
The fifth principle involved is the right information. This is where collaborative planning
comes into play with evidence based practice and an effective plan of care.
An example would be a endocrinologist that was taking care of my patient with newly diagnosed
diabetes. I assessed the patient and collaborated with the appropriate care team and followed
through with the doctors orders to ensure patient safety and management were taken care of
during admission and after discharge.
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Transparency and full disclosure follows as the six principle. This is where the patient is
open and honest about their medical history and how they perceive their health outcome. Patient Communication Sample Essay. For
example a patient needs to have full disclosure on pertinent family history and medical
conditions in order for the care taker to identify the most appropriate plan of care and how they
can manage their health well in to the future, such a women with a immediate family history of
breast cancer and need for proper screening and prevention management tools. Finally, the
seventh principle is continuous learning and involves reinforcement from both patient and
clinician. While being able to use experience and research this will constantly improve patient
care outcomes.
Methods of Communication
Over the last several decades healthcare has become increasingly complex and patients
are at significant risk while receiving care. Poor communication among the healthcare
interdisciplinary team continues to be a primary cause of sentinel events and posing the risk of
patient injury. Interdisciplinary teams are looking at more effective strategies that can monitor
patient care situations, support other team members, and communicate more effectively
(Bramhall, 2014).
There are three methods used to help improve interdisciplinary communication among
healthcare workers, those are Team briefing and debriefing, checklists & read back protocols,
and structured communication tools. Team briefing and debriefing provides effective
communication on responsibilities and intended outcomes before, during and at the end of each
shift to help the care team understand what is most crucial with the patients on the unit. Next is
check lists and read back protocols. These are here to assist in preventing failure in
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communication and misinterpretations that may result in errors. Read back is used when
receiving a new order from a physician or during shift report. Finally, structured communication
tools is a method aided in effective communication amongst different types of healthcare team
members, such as doctors and nurses and helps address issues that may arise in patient care all
while protecting them from harm (Gluyas, 2015).
In my nursing practice we strive to use each of these methods every day to improve better
outcomes. However, the one that I find most useful in my practice is the SBAR. This method is
used to facilitate effective communication between nurses, providers and other team members.
SBAR stands for, Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation. When using SBAR
one starts out with clearly and briefly describing the situation. For example, my name is Sarah
and I am calling from 4 main at Cleveland Clinic. I am calling about Mrs. Jackson in room 400
regarding her pain control. Next you use pertinent information relating to the patients
background and how it relates to the situation. For example, Mrs. Jackson only has Tylenol 650
mg Q4 hrs for minimal pain and no other pain control measures are on the MAR. She also has
no allergies listed. Assessment is information the care taker has put together from the patient.Patient Communication Sample Essay
For example, Mrs. Jackson rates her pain 6/10 resting and during dressing changes it spikes to
10/10 in her sacrum area. She is bed ridden and has expressive aphasia with right sided
paralysis. She also has a history of diabetes and uncontrolled blood sugar. Upon assessment of
the dressing change, the wound is bring red with scant amount of blood and some purulent
drainage. All vitals are stable. Finally, Recommendation is something the care taker may
suggest the patient needs or an order the provider should put in. I suggest Mrs. Jackson would
benefit from some longer acting pain
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medications as well as pain meds to be given right before the daily dressing changes to better
manage the pain. Would you like any labs or wound cultures as well?
Ethical Principles and Communication
The four ethical principles that apply to patient-clinician communication are Beneficence,
Fidelity, Justice and Autonomy. Beneficence is the act of having compassion and taking positive
actions to help patients in their time of need while following through on the desire to do good.
This could be when a nurse practices therapeutic communication to help the patient work
through their concerns. Fidelity is being able to honor your commitments and is based on the
virtue of caring, such as returning to a patients room when you say you will be back in a
moment. Justice is treating all patient fairly and equally, despite their religious or political views
or whether or not they are a criminal. Autonomy is followed through by respecting patients
wishes, even when you don’t agree with them, such as a patient that wishes to sign a DNR form,
go into hospice care for a terminal disease and stop treatment.
Ethical communication is influenced by moral belief and is intended on being upfront,
honest and cooperative. Every nurse should respect their patients and protect their rights.
Nurses must create a safe environment of mutual trust and respect between patients and
healthcare professionals. According to Gollust & Dwyer, Patients entrust their dignity to nurses,
so nurses must guard their privacy, listen to their problems all while considering their wishes for
treatment. When effective communication is lacking, patient care is compromised thus posing
potential harm to the patient such lack of privacy and confidentiality or inappropriate
information sharing to outside sources. Providers and nurses should enable teamwork and
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cooperation despite the healthcare hierarchical system and imposing authority gradient to
provide the patient with the utmost in professional care (2013).
In conclusion, patient centered care not only relies on the health care team being. Patient Communication Sample Essay
professional patient advocates, maintaining the seven ethical principles and encouraging patient
empowerment but also portraying effective communication. Thus, effective communication is a
fundamental element between nurses and providers and is vital during the endless amount of
interactions each day. This collaboration between teams is important to the safety and quality of
patient care(Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2014).
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References
Paget, L., Han, P., Nedza, S., Kurtz, P., Racine, E., Russell, S., . . . Kohorn, I. V. (2011). Patientclinician communication: basic principles and expectations. The National Academy of
Sciences, 1-7. Retrieved February 10, 2018, from https://ohio.app.box.com/s/
q3u4emkjuj104ehuxep1mmdbubqh5smh.
Gluyas, H. (2015). Effective communication and teamwork promotes patient safety. Nursing
Standard (Royal College Of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987), 29(49), 50-57. doi:10.7748/ns.
29.49.50.e10042
Bramhall, E. (2014). Effective communication skills in nursing practice. Nursing Standard
(Royal College Of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987), 29(14), 53-59. doi:10.7748/ns.
29.14.53.e9355
Gollust, S., & Dwyer, A. (2013). Ethics of clinician communication in a changing
communication landscape: Guidance from professional societies. doi:10.1093/
jncimonographs/lgt028
Burkhardt, M. A., & Nathaniel, A. K. (2014). Ethics & issues in contemporary nursing (4th ed.).
Toronto: Nelson education.
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