Improving Nurse/Physician Communication during Emergency Situations

IMPROVING NURSE/PHYSICIAN COMMUNICATION DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS RATIONALE

• Evidence indicates that miscommunication is a leading source of adverse events in healthcare
• The Joint Commission on Accreditation has listed “Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers” as a National Patient Safety Goal
• At a monthly Nurse/Physician meeting, physicians requested the need for a more organized report from nurses during emergency situations

PURPOSE

• The purpose of this project was to implement a process to improve patient safety by improving nurse/physician communication in emergency situations.

PROGRAM CREATION AND MATERIALS USED

• An interdisciplinary team consisting of Staff Nurses, OB Management Team, and a Physician developed a process to improve communication
• Emergency Scenarios were developed and printed on index cards
• Perinatal SBAR pocket cards were laminated, posted and given to staff nurses
• The interdisciplinary team conducted drills with staff by role playing in a non-threatening environment
• A recorder was used to tape emergency SBAR report
• Debriefing was done with the team and staff after the drills

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

• Staff Nurses have a clear expectation of SBAR report
• Staff Nurses feel prepared to give an organized report to physicians in an emergency situation
• Physicians report receiving appropriate and pertinent information to enable them to provide better care for their patients
• Communication between nurses and physicians in emergency situations has improved, therefore, improving patient safety.