Employing effective communication strategies between healthcare practitioners and between patients is essential to ensure high quality patient outcomes. As healthcare becomes more complex, the focus for organizations will be on processes that facilitate collaboration and improve patient outcomes (Rosenstein, Dinklin, & Munro, 2014). This paper will review two strategies to improve communication: the use of the Situation-Background-Assessment- Recommendation tool, or SBAR for interprofessional team communication and the teach-back method of educating patients.
Strategies for Team and Patient Communication
The link between communication and patient safety in healthcare has been well documented. The Joint Commission (TJC) recognizes that errors …show more content…
Nurses spend a significant amount of time managing, preparing, and administering medications. Nurses can spend up to 40% of their day, involved in tasks that center around medication administration. It is important for nurses to be knowledgeable regarding an organization medication administration policies and procedures, scope of practice, and regulatory guidelines regarding the administration of medications. Even with new technology such as bar-code medication administration, it is estimated medication administration errors range from 8% to 19.6% (McLeod, Barber, & Franklin, 2015, p. 2). Many medication errors are a direct result of poor communication, interruptions during the medication administration process, and issues with technology. Nurses need to be employ techniques that improve communication during the medication administration process. SBAR can be used when requesting a missed dose of medication from the pharmacy or during the hand off of care (Narayan, 2013). Teach-back can be used during medication administration by simply asking the patient why they are taking a medication (Tamura-Lis, …show more content…
Safe medication practices include: the use of bar-code medication administration, the minimization of interruptions, and improved workflows (McLeod et al., 2015). The positive impact and the use of technology by during the medication administration process cannot be overlooked. The implementation of electronic health records (EHR), computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and bar-code medication administration has decreases the number of medication errors (Seibert, Maddox, Flynn, & Williams, 2014). Organizations can support safe medication practices by supporting the use of technology and efforts to improve nursing workflows.
Conclusion
Effective communication strategies between healthcare practitioners and between patients is essential to ensure high quality patient outcomes. Communication and the administration of medication in a heath care setting is highly complex, good communications is key to minimizing error and providing safe care (McLeod et al., 2015). There are various methods to improve communication. SBAR and the teach-back method are two examples of strategies that nurse can use to improve communication within the team and with
Strategies for Team and Patient Communication
The link between communication and patient safety in healthcare has been well documented. The Joint Commission (TJC) recognizes that errors …show more content…
Nurses spend a significant amount of time managing, preparing, and administering medications. Nurses can spend up to 40% of their day, involved in tasks that center around medication administration. It is important for nurses to be knowledgeable regarding an organization medication administration policies and procedures, scope of practice, and regulatory guidelines regarding the administration of medications. Even with new technology such as bar-code medication administration, it is estimated medication administration errors range from 8% to 19.6% (McLeod, Barber, & Franklin, 2015, p. 2). Many medication errors are a direct result of poor communication, interruptions during the medication administration process, and issues with technology. Nurses need to be employ techniques that improve communication during the medication administration process. SBAR can be used when requesting a missed dose of medication from the pharmacy or during the hand off of care (Narayan, 2013). Teach-back can be used during medication administration by simply asking the patient why they are taking a medication (Tamura-Lis, …show more content…
Safe medication practices include: the use of bar-code medication administration, the minimization of interruptions, and improved workflows (McLeod et al., 2015). The positive impact and the use of technology by during the medication administration process cannot be overlooked. The implementation of electronic health records (EHR), computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and bar-code medication administration has decreases the number of medication errors (Seibert, Maddox, Flynn, & Williams, 2014). Organizations can support safe medication practices by supporting the use of technology and efforts to improve nursing workflows.
Conclusion
Effective communication strategies between healthcare practitioners and between patients is essential to ensure high quality patient outcomes. Communication and the administration of medication in a heath care setting is highly complex, good communications is key to minimizing error and providing safe care (McLeod et al., 2015). There are various methods to improve communication. SBAR and the teach-back method are two examples of strategies that nurse can use to improve communication within the team and with