Improving communication among nursing staff at a children's hospital in the southern United States: a best practice implementation project

Abstract

Introduction: Ineffective communication between health care professionals is one of the leading causes of medical errors and can result in adverse events and patient harm. Improving the effectiveness of communication in health care is a worldwide necessity. Objective: The aim of this project was to promote evidence-based practices regarding general communication principles among the nursing staff in one unit of a children's hospital in the southern United States. Methods: The project used JBI's Evidence Implementation Framework, together with two JBI audit tools (Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice). A baseline audit was conducted, followed by the implementation of targeted strategies. The project was completed with a follow-up audit to determine changes in practice. Results: Baseline data revealed 61% adherence with four audit criteria for effective communication in health care. Barriers included a lack of education of nursing staff regarding communication skills and less than optimal use of a structured communication tool. Targeted strategies to address the barriers included providing an educational module on communication to nursing staff and moving the structured communication tool to a more convenient location to increase its use. The post-implementation data revealed 81% adherence with the four audit criteria, a 20% increase from baseline results. Conclusions: Optimizing communication and monitoring the use of a structured communication tool has the potential to decrease the risk of medical errors among health care providers. Spanish abstract: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A217