Topics About 'Communication'.

According to the Joint Commission, breakdowns in communication cause approximately 80 percent of all medical errors. Although this is a daunting number, those with limited English proficiency (LEP) are more prone to patient safety events than English...

It started as a lark -- I got a free all-in-one printer with my new computer. Mom's photo album was just sitting there in my dining room, waiting for me to decide what I wanted to do with it, so just for kicks, I scanned a photograph or two. or sixte...

According to Pullen and Mathias (2010), a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is defined as a helping relationship that's based on mutual trust and respect, the nurturing of faith and hope, being sensitive to self and others, and assisting with th...

This particular hospital had a "call bell" system in place for the ER. After the regular ER crew left for the night, a patient would ring the "doorbell" in the back to summon service. The bell would buzz abruptly in the nurses' station to let us know...

Identifying Common Collaboration Challenges Major factors that affect collaboration include communication, respect and trust, unequal power, understanding professional roles, and task prioritizing. Let’s take a look at how each one of these facto...

How much time? She looked up at me with pleading eyes, her head resting on a freshly laundered pillow case and her hair, still damp, laid out against the white expanse to dry. Her voice was firm as she asked the question that was on her mind. Tak...

Good at IV starts- check. Telemetry trained- check. CPR and ACLS certified- check. We work so hard to have a resume that is full of experience and skills; but have we forgotten one of the most important qualifications needed to be a successful nurse?...

I'm beginning to feel as though the word "compassion" is a dirty word. Maybe it's the way people use it these days. It doesn't seem to be about an actual feeling of empathy toward a patient, family member or even a colleague. It seems to be more abou...

Feeling overwhelmed by her many job duties, the director of nursing (don) hastily sent out the following memorandum to the nursing staff at her facility. Instead of it being a polished professional communication, the memo is difficult to read due to ...

We all make communication mistakes. As a hospital-based nurse for over 30 years, I've certainly made my share, and witnessed many more. Along the way, I've picked up a few tips that I hope are helpful to students and new nurses. 1. Avoid loaded langu...

Story #1“Oh, I work a couple of shifts per week. Just enough that I can get out of the house and feel like I’m contributing, but not so much that I’m letting someone else raise my children.” These words spoken to me in passing cut like a dagger to my...

~"Sleazy car salesman." ~"You can't trust them. They're like used car salesmen: so pushy. And they lie to you, too! ~"Snake oil salesman." ~"It's just so uncomfortable negotiating my salary. I just took whatever they gave me." ~"Well, I didn't want t...

Communication: A Vital Utility Communication can be defined simply as the sharing of information. Even more broadly, communication can be distilled down to the act of a sender producing the content of a message in any of the many forms available ...

Webster's Dictionary defines complacency in a way that we, as a people, can all understand. As nurses and caregivers, we know deep down that complacency is taken to an entirely different level within our scope. It is a weighted situation that causes ...

Angela's preceptee, Lindsey, kept being late to work. Not terribly late, sometimes just 3-4 minutes. Other times, maybe 5-7 minutes. Typically Lindsay would rush in, all smiles and apologies. From the first, Angela was annoyed while she waited for Li...

Nurses are caring. It's a given. Yet, in today's pressured work environment of endless multi-tasking and multiple priorities, they run the risk that their caring may not come across effectively to the patients and families they serve. Connection...

Over 30 years ago, I was a young 'float' RN doing morning Team Leader rounds in the Post Partum unit. I had just left a four-bed ward on my way to the next two-patient room. My mind remained on the mothers from that four-bed room, joyfully discu...

When communicating with others we assume that what we say is plainly understood. Often this is not the case. The meaning gets lost in the delivery. What have you done to improve your communication skills? How does your place of work ensure good commu...

It is inevitable. Your path will intersect with difficult patients over your nursing career. Angry, manipulative or overly needy patients can quickly wash away your already strained patience. Patient emotions surrounding loss of independence, stres...

Have you ever considered that nursing excellence allows physicians to provide compassionate, patient-centered care? A recent study conducted by Press Ganey revealed that comprehensive nursing practice in high-performing hospitals creates high patient...

Many nurses seem to ask variations of the aforementioned question. We want to be polite to our patients and visitors, albeit for different reasons. Some of us believe in the, "treat others as you would want to be treated," mantra, whereas other nurse...

Memo from the desk of Your Friendly Neighborhood SociopathFor some reason, in my world, there seems to be waves of emotion that hits in a near cyclic manner. And I am most certainly not referring to hormones or my own off kilter dysfunction shabbily ...

In choosing a career as noble and honorable as nursing, having the responsibility of being trusted to care for those who are stricken with illness should always be considered the core of our profession. However, we sometimes overlook the feelings of ...

Health systems have to be forward thinking and use creative strategies to recruit good nurses. According to an NSI Nursing Solutions’ 2016 National Healthcare and Retention RN Staffing Report, it costs a conservative estimate of $54,400 to replace e...

On the other hand, I was excited because it will be very challenging for me, I guess. I remember when I was still doing my review studies for the NCLEX and there is a topic about Transcultural Nursing and every time I read my book I always associate ...