Effective Communication In Critical Care

Words: 1308
Pages: 6
Open Document
Critical care nursing is a highly technical specialty of nursing where nurses are trained to assist in life sustaining measures during threatening medical crises for patients commonly on the verge of death (Elliot & Wright, 1999). A patient’s experience in the intensive care unit (ICU) can undoubtedly serve as a stressor and time of vulnerability for both the patient and the family. Munro and Savel (2013) spoke to this concept when they discussed how the connection and communication with patients and families is an essential part of critical care and have potential to improve patient experiences. Furthermore, authors Reed, Teineck and Fonseca (2011), explained that while many studies support the desire for nurses to communicate effectively …show more content…
Elliot and Wright (1999) denoted that even though verbal communication is viewed as an interactive two way process, communication can serve important to the unconscious patient and an avenue of information, support and a way of orienting themselves. Aside from the benefits of providing the unconscious patient with support through communication, it is a patient right to be informed of their current affairs, diagnosis, treatments and nursing interventions they are experiencing, which raises moral and ethical concerns (Shaista & Neelam, 2014). The importance of communication and its impact on patient outcomes are recognized and addressed by several associations and organizations, including the Joint Commission, American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) and the American Nurses Association Scope and Standards of Nursing Practice. In addition, Shaista and Neelam (2014) explained it is important to educate health care providers about the benefits of verbal communication with nonverbal patients and how to integrate communication skills into their practices to adhere to the patient’s right of being informed of their condition at all times. This paper will explore the benefits of communication with nonverbal patients and how patients can receive a higher quality of care once …show more content…
As stated before, patients have the basic human right to be informed of current affairs, diagnosis, treatment and nursing interventions they are experiencing (Shaista & Neelam, 2014). Working with unconscious or nonverbal patients and not making them aware of their surroundings is questioned on moral and ethical grounds and contradicts standards in the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Scope and Standards for Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice (Bell, 2014). Two standards that are contradicted include Standard Four: Communication which outlines that critical care nurses “use skilled communication in a variety of formats to convey accurate information to acutely and critically ill patients, families and interprofessional team members” (Bell, 2014, p.16). Along with Standard 5: Ethics which states that “nurses decisions and actions are carried out in an ethical manner in all areas of practice and maintain patient autonomy, dignity, values, beliefs and rights at all times” (Bell, 2014, p.17). In relation to the clinical practice experience the writer encountered the nurses on the unit, along with nurses across the nation, fail to inform the patient of interventions occurring and took away an aspect of the patient’s dignity by treating them like a medical condition and not a
Show More

Related Documents: Effective Communication In Critical Care

Lewis Blackman Case

4a. What is the difference between a's and's'? Mindfulness In the case of Lewis Blackman, mindfulness could have played a crucial role in his care. Mindfulness, in essence, is the practice of being fully present and aware of one's thoughts, feelings, sensations, and surroundings without judgment (Pittman, 2024h). For a nurse, mindfulness is essential because it promotes a deeper connection with patients, enhances empathy, improves decision-making, reduces stress, and promotes patient safety. To cultivate…

Words 1770 - Pages 8

Essay on Difference in competencies between ADN and BSN

DIFFERENCE IN COMPETENCIES BETWEEN ADN AND BSN A nurse is a healthcare professional who is trained care for sick. The key roles in nursing are promotion of health and prevention of illness, and also education, research, advocacy, health system management and promotion of safe environment. There are two different categories of nurses based on educational level. One is an Associate Degree Nurse (ADN), a 2 year program and other a Baccalaureate Degree Nurse (BSN), a four year program. Though…

Words 1115 - Pages 5

Patient Safety

by medical care” (2018). Patient safety is an important and fundamental element of quality nursing care. Patient outcomes are affected by nursing care quality because nurses spend most time with patients performing assessments and caring for the patients; therefore, improvements in patient safety can be achieved by improving nurse performance. Nurses play significant role in ensuring patient safety by monitoring patients for physical retrogression, identifying errors, understanding care processes…

Words 580 - Pages 3

Nursing: Essential Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes Essay

Nursing: Essential Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes Introduction Nursing is not just a collection of tasks. To provide safe and effective care to the clients, nurses must integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes to make sound judgement and decisions. This essay describes some of the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes of nursing and discusses why they are essential attributes of a competent nurse. Nursing knowledge and clinical skills These are obvious essentials for nursing practice…

Words 1106 - Pages 5

Communication Opinion Paper

Communication Opinion Paper University of Phoenix HCS/320 Professor Tran Effective communication is imperative in every situation, but most significantly in healthcare field. Communicating effectively helps people understand clearly the circumstances surrounding the patient or any other profession. Minimal to no errors are made when things are said in good or bad situations arise because of the way it was handled with communication. Having effective communication…

Words 735 - Pages 3

Leadership Development Smart Goals Essay

In health care today nurses are confronted with the challenge of leading a variety of people; whether it is patients, families, co-workers or communities; the need for leadership and organizational skills are in demand more now than ever. The goal of this paper is to further discuss the purpose of my leadership development plan utilizing professionals, peer-reviewed articles, and credible websites that pertain to each of my SMART goals. The SMART goal topics that I have chosen are to improve…

Words 1222 - Pages 5

Teamwork And Collaboration Paper

vital in positive patient outcomes. Communication is an important aspect of teamwork and collaboration. “Working together toward a common goal is an empirically derived theory that can guide education and practice to improve patient outcomes, while saving money and lives” (Fewster-Thuente, 2015, p. 357). Communication Effective communication between the nurse and patient, the patient’s family and other health care professionals is essential to provide the best care possible. Not only does a nurse…

Words 518 - Pages 3

Therapeutic Communication: Effective Communication In The Health Care Environment

Communication is a major tool used in everyday life to transfer and receive information. Communication, therapeutic communication and interpersonal skills are especially vital in the health care environment to ensure effective and safe provision of care for all patients (Doherty, Thompson, 2014). Effective communication can be delivered in many forms, whether it be online or face to face, verbal or non-verbal. According to Boykins (2014), effective communication between the multidisciplinary team…

Words 547 - Pages 3

Communication Opinion Paper

Communication Opinion Paper HCS 320 December 3, 2014 Communication Opinion Paper Effective communication is essential to the success of healthcare profession. Good communication skills are critical in all sectors of healthcare field because the quality of care and life of patients depend on it (Bauer, n.d.). Effective communication become a lifeline and can impact the care of the patient. If a member of the medical team of doctors or nurses does not understand each other and the directions for…

Words 788 - Pages 4

Enhancing Clinical Practice Essay

pathologies who was cared for in more than one critical care setting. The practitioner will explore the clinical management of the patient who has complex requirements and report the approaches and strategies used in the process of reaching and agreeing clinical decisions regarding their care. Critical reflection surrounding communication and multidisciplinary team working with regards to the patient’s care and the patient’s involvement in that care will also be investigated. The practitioner understands…

Words 3434 - Pages 14