How Nurses Can Improve Communication Skills BY JEBRA TURNER
Health care has changed dramatically for nurses, physicians, and others on the health care team. The whole environment is a more complex, fast-paced, and continually shifting culture. Most facilities aim to emphasize efficiency, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes. That goal requires that nurses and other team members work together closely, with good communication as the linchpin of that collegiality and collaboration.
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ccording to Phyllis Quinlan, PhD, RNBC, president of MFW Consultants and a nursing coach, agencies such as The Joint Commission and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement stress the absolute necessity of improving the sticky aspects of communication as a way to prevent errors and improve safety and quality of care. “All the reports show that communication breakdowns are the number
one thing contributing to a substantial number of preventable errors and deaths,” she says. “The health care industry has taken huge steps to acknowledge that we’re a global community. We all work to ensure the best possible outcome for our patients, so we have to find ways to make sure that our communication is optimal. We looked to the other industries, like the nuclear energy field and the
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military, where clear and distinct communication was vital to ensure the safety of troops and limitation of collateral damage,” she explains. In addition, nurses who display clear and effective communication with coworkers enjoy trust, respect, and the power of true partnership— which translates into better patient relationships, greater patient engagement, and better health outcomes.
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