314416 Communicating in High-Pressure Environments

Course overview

Patient outcomes are impacted by multiple factors, and the ability of members of the healthcare team and patients to communicate effectively is crucial in achieving best patient outcomes. Because nurses play a pivotal role in patient communication, it is essential for nurses to develop effective communication skills. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) has identified six standards for establishing and sustaining healthy work environments, one of these being skilled communication. According to the AACN, “optimal care of patients mandates that nurses, physicians, administrators, and other health care professionals integrate their specialized knowledge and skills. This integration can be accomplished only through frequent, respectful interaction, and skilled communication. Skilled communication is more than the one-way delivery of information. It is a two-way dialogue in which individuals think and decide together. The culture of critical care requires true collaboration and demands an environment where nurses speak with knowledge and authority related to patient care. Creating safe and excellent work environments requires that nurses and health care organizations make it a priority to develop written, spoken, and nonverbal communication skills that are on par with expert clinical skills.”