Nursing communication with paediatric patients and families
Implementing best practice
Effective communication between healthcare providers and patients/families is crucial for patient care and outcomes. Good communication improves patient satisfaction, information sharing, adherence to treatment, and overall health outcomes. On the other hand, poor communication contributes to adverse events and poor outcomes. Factors influencing communication issues include lack of standardised training and systematic methods for assessment and monitoring.?
Patients have the right to effective communication and being informed about their care, but these needs often go unmet.
A best practice implementation project was conducted at Children's of Mississippi at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The aim of the project was to promote evidence-based practices regarding healthcare provider communication with paediatric patients/families. The project focused specifically on nursing staff.
Specific objectives of the project were to:
1. Determine current compliance with evidence-based practices regarding nursing communication with paediatric patients/families
2. Design and implement strategies to address areas of noncompliance regarding communication between nursing staff and patients/families on a paediatric transition unit.
3. Complete a follow-up audit to assess compliance following implementation of strategies to address identified barriers.
The implementation project showed an average of 32% improvement in compliance in audit criteria after providing communication skills training to nursing staff and education and visual aids to patients/families and nursing staff regarding the use of white boards.?
The audit criteria were based on best practice recommendations from a JBI Evidence Summary, Healthcare provider communication with paediatric families/carers.?The best practice recommendations provided in the JBI Evidence Summary are:
1. A communication skills training should be provided to all healthcare staff involved in caring for paediatric patients. (Grade B)
2. Strategies such as the use of script, information resources for improved communication, and/or individual support may be considered to facilitate or improve effective healthcare provider–patient/family communication. (Grade B)
3. Providing age-appropriate, relevant education and symptom management to paediatric patients may facilitate their engagement with healthcare providers and should therefore be considered. (Grade B)
4. Providing relevant education and offering varied and repeated forms of communication to parents/caregivers may facilitate their engagement with healthcare providers and should therefore be considered. (Grade B)
The implementation of this best practice project used?JBI PACES?(Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System) and?GRiP?(Getting Research into Practice) audit and feedback strategy to promote evidence-based practices for healthcare provider communication with paediatric patients and families.
Read about the implementation of this best practice project in the June 2023 issue of JBI Evidence Implementation:?
Sandridge, Shanda; Palokas; Odom, Anna,4
JBI Evidence Implementation?21(2):p 120-127, June 2023.?| DOI: 10.1097/XEB.0000000000000363
Resources mentioned:
Lizarondo L. Evidence summary. Healthcare provider communication with paediatric families/carers. The JBI EBP Database 2021; JBI-ES-4888-1.?
Porritt K, McArthur A, Lockwood C, Munn Z, editors. JBI handbook for evidence implementation. JBI, 2020. Available at:?https://implementationmanual.jbi.globalhttps://doi.org/10.46658/JBIMEI-20-01.