Nurse-Physician Communication Essay
Nurse-Physician Communication Essay
Mistrust between nurses and physicians can impede interdisciplinary communication. It is self-evident that patient safety and care will suffer. When the objectives of care are not communicated or expressed effectively it leads to increasing costs and the likelihood of medical errors in healthcare delivery. To enhance communication between nurse and physician which maximizes the safety of the patient, strategies of communication should be developed in the organizational policies itself. The communication between nurse and physician is seen as an open, rational, dynamic, goal-directed process focused on imparting realities from a health care organization perspective. Nurse-Physician Communication Essay.Sound nurse-physician communication is important for positive productive outcomes for safe, efficient, and effective patient care.
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER NOW
The physicians and nurses have primary responsibility for patient care in the hospital care environment. The shared values and beliefs of primary care delivery providers are very important in health care settings. The factors which contribute to improved patient outcomes are numerous. Cohesive efforts and collaborative knowledge of nurses and physicians bring clinical success in terms of patient outcomes. The key factor of any collaboration is ‘good communication’. Patient-centered communication between nurses and physicians should allow them to work selflessly towards the same objective/goal. Effective Nurse-to-Physician communication is one of the most important aspects to improve patient’s healthcare. If the communication between nurse and physician is poor, everyone in the hospital is affected by patients, families to other staff members. This can affect readmission rates, results in healthcare errors, or even deaths. This can tarnish the image of a particular hospital. Therefore, from the health care organization’s point of view, it is imperative to develop better measures for assessing communication as well as designing effective interventions to enhance communication. Nurse-Physician Communication Essay.
As noted, a majority of doctors are still reluctant to discuss the patient’s real prognosis for different reasons. Some doctors will give an estimated ICU stay for a week or two, but this uncertainty can turn to months with very slow progress in recovery. When patients are no longer able to make their own decisions as they succumbed to illness, the families are left with the burden of choice what to do next. During this time the guidance of doctors and nurses are needed to advise which direction to take whether to continue, or withhold treatments and start the process of end-of-life care. Hence, communicating effectively plays an important role in this period.
Significance/Impact of the Problem When a patient is admitted to the ICU with a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) and a Do Not Intubate (DNI) orders, doctors will order to provide medical and nutritional support hoping that the patient will get better.Nurse-Physician Communication Essay. The significance of the problem occurs when despite all the interventions, the patient continue to deteriorate with no signs of recovery. Ineffective communication between doctors and nurses can lead to the following:
1. Failure to recognize the situation early will prolong the treatment and suffering of critically-ill patients.
2. Inconsistent information given to patients and families will result in confusion, frustration and lack of trust.
3. Non-collaborative action can lead to longer length of stay, increased costs, wasted resources
The Importance of Effective Communication between Doctors and Nurses during End-of-Life Care in the Intensive Care Unit
End-of-life care, as defined by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, is the term used to describe the support and medical care given during the time surrounding death. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a specialty area that cares for critically-ill patients who are facing life-threatening problems. The goal of the ICU is to help patients and their families get through this difficult stage using advance medical interventions and continuous emotional support. But sometimes, patients may not recover and death can be imminent. ICU nurses are the first ones to notice when a patient’s condition is not improving despite all the interventions. Oftentimes, some doctors will continue treatments and will not yet discuss the poor prognosis either with patients or their families.
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER NOW
Problem
When I experience the challenge of dealing with the end-of-life issues, I always wonder how we can all work together and communicate better to improve the dilemma. In this research, I will be looking for answers to the following clinical questions:
1. Why effective communication is important between doctors and nurses in the ICU.
2. How communicating effectively can relate to better patient outcomes, including their families during the end-of-life care.
I am hoping to find solutions to these problems that I can use in my nursing practice. Nurse-Physician Communication Essay.
Background of the Problem
As I personally observed in our ICU, ineffective communication between doctors and nurses can affect the delivery of care. Unclear communication during the end-of-life care in the ICU can raise ethical questions and pose a challenge to those who are involved. Incons…
…arch are to gain more knowledge and apply the solutions that I will find from evidenced based practice to my own. Identifying the barriers to effective communication and finding ways to overcome them can help improve the gap. As a critical care nurse, I have to provide exceptional patient care to sustain life, but must also accept the circumstances when a patient’s death is inevitable. I will bring the information that I will discover to my place of work, hoping that we can learn from it for the benefits of the population that we serve. The notion that the ICU is a known place for prolonging life and delaying death will find its essence if doctors and nurses will collaborate and communicate, effectively. When communication needs are met, there will be increase in trust and satisfaction not only for patients and their families, but also for those who provide care. Nurse-Physician Communication Essay.
