Communication In Nursing Essay

Communication in nursing is known for its life saving success as well as its greatest flaw in poor patient outcomes. There is always room for improvement and when communication is carried out efficiently, healthcare professionals have reaped the benefits. However, there have been many instances in which nurses have had to learn the hard way of how detrimental communication can be to patient safety. Through research and reviews of literature, the topic of patient safety related to handoff communication among units is analyzed. In choosing this topic, many experiences resonate from witnessing the importance of closing the gap in poor communication among units. For example, a patient with a known history of imprisonment for 25 years and recent

With the use of consistent handoff tools, there is likely not a missing piece of information that leaves the receiving nurse with gaps in any information. The inconsistency of use of different tools such as SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) or electronic handoff methods is where information gets lost. The use of SBAR is commonly used to maintain uniform communication. In example of the use of SBAR against the situation mention earlier, the known history of imprisonment with bloody sputum were not mentioned in the background or assessment piece of handoff. Not only did this impact patient safety but also the safety of nursing staff. Therefore bridging this gap and the movement towards uniform communication is highly warranted in prevention of adverse effects among unit handoff

The overall synopsis gives prompt for the need of utilizing standardized handoff tools as well as negotiation of patient transfer among departments. As nurses, the transfer of information efficiently is the ultimate responsibility to aid in communication for success rather than contribute to its failure. This could potentially be a barrier to improvement if many nurses fail to adopt the initiative. In preparation for a future career in nursing and being first line in patient safety, it is a personal responsibility and goal to implement efficient communication in my own professional practice. With efforts to promote effective communication, success among the transfer of information to eliminate issues will be exemplified through