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View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
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View All ProductsMitigate risk and elevate your quality of care. Improving both clinical and business outcomes starts with a smarter, more integrated approach to regulatory training, continuing education and quality management.
Learn MoreBy Nicole Kraut RN
Effective communication is an essential component of quality health care. It is well known that there is a strong correlation between the communication skills of healthcare providers and patient health outcomes. Nurses are at the forefront of patient care; therefore, they are responsible for communicating patient information to any providers involved in a patient’s plan of care. It is essential to patient safety and outcomes that effective communication occurs between nurses and providers.
Why poor communication occurs
Poor communication between nurses and providers can occur for a variety of reasons, either intentionally or unintentionally. Healthcare can be very unpredictable, complicated, and stressful. Patient needs can arise unexpectedly and a patient’s condition can change very rapidly. The unpredictability and urgency that occurs when caring for patients can lead to unplanned communication between providers, which leads to a communication breakdown.
Too much info, too quickly
An example of a poor communication pattern that occurs during a stressful situation is when a provider provides as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. For example, a patient’s health is rapidly declining. The nurse phones the physician and quickly provides as much information as possible, such as vital signs, the patient’s history, medications given, and any events leading up to the patient’s current state. While all of this information is important for the provider to know, any lack of organization or logic to what the nurse is saying may cause the provider to lose attention and dismiss the nurse’s concerns.
Hesitation due to power differential
Another poor communication pattern that occurs is when a nurse is hesitant to ensure their concerns are being heard and acted on. Unfortunately, a culture of hierarchy and power differential between nurses and physicians still exists in many institutions. If a nurse makes a recommendation or brings an issue to the attention of the physician, and their recommendation or concern is dismissed, many nurses many not feel comfortable repeating themselves.
The impact of poor communication
Poor communication between nurses and other health care providers can have a significant negative effect on patient safety, quality of care, patient outcomes, and patient as well as staff satisfaction. An organization should ensure several interventions are in place in order to ensure effective communication between health care providers. Leaders should promote an organizational culture which is patient centered and focused on safety. In addition, leaders should be supportive of open communication and promote the use of communication tools between health care providers. Once interventions are in place to break down the patterns of poor communication, safe, patient centered care can occur.
About the Author
Nicole Kraut is a nurse working in Chicago, Illinois, who writes for us regularly about her experiences as an early-to-mid career nurse. She has been a RN for over five years.
Nicole graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Loyola University Chicago and recently obtained a Master of Science in Nursing with an Emphasis in Nursing Education from Grand Canyon University. She “was inspired to become a nurse because I wanted to work in a career field in which I could make a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. I feel nursing is my vocation and am passionate about sharing my knowledge and experience in order to positively influence others.”
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Contact HealthStream to speak to a solutions expert learn more about our courses related to Healthcare Professional Training.HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsHealthStream's EMS Program offers a comprehensive, CAPCE accredited EMS course library that meets National Registry annual recertification.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's Provider Credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All Scheduling & Capacity ManagementHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
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