The Principles of Patient-Clinician Communication
Many factors affect the clarity and quality of communications between clinicians and patients. For this reason, seven principles serve as a starting point for the correction of such issues. The principles include harmonized goals, mutual respect, continuous learning, a supportive environment, transparency, and full disclosure, appropriate decision partners, as well as the right information (Clayton Shuman et al., 2017).
Application of Principles
In my nursing practice, I apply mutual respect by listening, inquiring, and the facilitation of active information sharing. This is because the patients, at times, have useful insights that help solve the problems at hand. When it comes to harmonizing goals, I share with my patients the available care options, including the associated risks, costs, and benefits, while also considering their preferences. Doing so helps us accomplish the end goal of better health for them. I understand that deciding on treatment can be an overwhelming job, which is why I offer a conducive environment to help them make up their minds. I am also keen to be transparent and give them the right information to aid in their decision-making process. Frank and clear acknowledgment of patient limits, as well as those of technological systems, makes both parties have realistic expectations (Clayton Shuman et al., 2017).
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Methods of Improving Interdisciplinary Communication
Three methods can be used to improve interdisciplinary communications, which are the use of multidisciplinary rounds, situational briefings, and team huddles. Multidisciplinary rounds involve engaging in patient-centered rounds that emphasize setting goals, care planning and communication with close relatives, and patient safety issues. Team huddles involve quick meetings with a functional group which focuses on improving team communication considering such meetings are conducted regularly, the momentum of the team is maintained (O'Brien et al., 2018). On the other hand, situational briefings use the SBAR method to carry out functions like background, assessment, and recommendation to inform the patients' statuses to healthcare professionals.
The Use of Team Huddles
In my area of practice, the method that works best is team huddles. I believe that healthcare should take an interactive approach, as this leads to better diagnostics and treatment. Team huddles utilize all the active healthcare professionals available to try and resolve patient issues, particularly those that may prevent their discharge. Although team huddles are not centered on workflow, they are quick and centered on discussions among my coworkers on various issues about patient safety alongside goals of care. In the hospital, a daily team hurdle can aid in promoting optimal patient outcomes since time is taken to communicate (Venkataraman et al., 2018). Doing so not only promotes awareness about the general state of the entire unit, but it greatly reduces chaos rising from poor communication.
Ethical Principles
The first ethical principle is honesty, as it emphasizes truthfulness when communicating with patients. Nurses ought to be accurate and truthful about the patient's conditions as well as details of care. The second principle is mutual respect. The principle advocates for both patients and nurses to respect each other's confidentiality (Mcdermott-Levy et al., 2018). This means that the nurse should not disclose any medical records belonging to the patient to anyone. The third principle is reliability, where the nurse should always be available to tend to the patient's medical needs. When the nurse is reliable, it creates a conducive environment that is built on trust between them and the patient.
Importance of Ethics
Ethics plays a crucial role in patient and nurse communication. For example, ethics guarantee transparency, and this eliminates the dangers associated with the withholding of information such as wrong diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, communication-based on ethics breeds trust, which means that patients will trust the nurses to deliver the best care and will not hesitate to voice their concerns when their needs and preferences are not met. Ethics will also dictate nurse behavior, such as non-disclosure of patient information. Such confidentiality will give patients peace of mind knowing that their files are safe.
References
Clayton Shuman, D., Montie, M., Galinato, M. J., Patak, L., & Titler, M. (2017). Registered Nurse and Nursing Assistant Perceptions of Limited English Proficient Patient-Clinician Communication. The Journal of Nursing Administration , 47 (12), 589.
Mcdermott-Levy, R., Leffers, J., & Mayaka, J. (2018). Ethical Principles and Guidelines of Global Health Nursing Practice. Nursing Outlook , 66 (5), 473-481.
O'Brien, A., O'Reilly, K., Dechen, T., Demosthenes, N., Kelly, V., Mackinson, L., ... & Cocchi, M. N. (2018). Redesigning Rounds in the ICU: Standardizing Key Elements Improves Interdisciplinary Communication. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety , 44 (10), 590-598.
Venkataraman, A., Conn, R., L Cotton, R., Abraham, S., Banaghan, M., & Callaghan, B. (2018). Perspectives of Multidisciplinary Staff Toward the Improvement of Communication and Patient Safety by Safety Huddles. Journal of Patient Safety & Quality Improvement , 6 (1), 644-649.
