The field of healthcare faces a unique set of primary challenges, amongst them failure of communication is the one that subsequently results in job frustration among healthcare providers and poor patient outcomes. Nurses are the backbone in the field of healthcare around the world and they are the individuals who observe this challenge the most in the healthcare system (Ratna, 2019). They invest their time and energy in caring for patients from different communities and strata and educate the unhealthy population about different aspects and strategies of treatment plans. Therefore, in the contemporary Covid-stricken world, nurses are supposed to put their knowledge into practice for the management and prevention of Covid in primary healthcare (Fernandez et al, 2020).
Project Topic for Focus of Change Proposal
The evidence-based project topic for the capstone change proposal I will tackle is “Implementation of effective communication tool” for the prevention and management of Covid in urgent care. My preceptor and I have discussed this topic in the previous week, what has to be done to implement it, what will be the implications of the proposed idea, the place of practicum, and the significance of the proposed project topic for the nursing practice. My preceptor assisted with the necessary knowledge of this intervention in the nursing practice as the failure of communication is an organizational issue that leads to serious medical errors and poor patient outcomes. The intervention of an “effective communication tool” can be of high significance as leadership or quality of the care provided as an improvement initiative for the professionals as well as nurses (Wang et al, 2018).
Context Where Project Topic is Observed
The place of practicum where I have started working with my preceptor on my project topic is the University of Miami Medical Building care setting. The problem identified in the selected context may be vulnerable to many organization-related issues such as preventable medical errors, staff depression, lack of knowledge about nursing essentials in new nurse practitioners, and shortage or mishandling of resources.
Detailed Description of Project Topic
In any workplace, effective communication is an integral element that enhances the client-company relationship, fosters business success, decreases the potential for conflict, and increases the overall effectiveness of the employers. When there is an effective communication bridge among the workers at any organization, all parties feel accomplished and thus increase the positive work environment (Ratna, 2019). The same does happen in an acute healthcare setting when members providing quality healthcare effectively communicate. Nurses as frontline workers in the healthcare system rely on the tool of effective communication to improve health outcomes, navigate co-workers’ relationships in complex situations, and for all aspects of their jobs (Sibiya, 2018). Therefore, I along with the proper guidance and assistance of my preceptor at the University of Miami for my capstone project have selected to work on the importance of effective communication among care providers in the field of healthcare.
Effects of Identified Problem
The failure in communication offers significant negative effects on health care providers such as nurses, professionals, hospital or clinic management or administration, and qualified doctors (Fowler et al, 2021). The effects count seriously on the quality of care provided, staff as well as patient satisfaction, patient outcomes, and patient safety. It does not only bring negative patient outcomes but also harms the reputation of the healthcare organization. In the contemporary healthcare system, patients are more knowledgeable about their medical rights and they demand responsive services from the system providing care to them because they pay a substantial amount of their income to the healthcare providers. The most common yet preventable harm of miscommunication involves a lack of information about a patient’s symptoms as well as poor documentation of the medical history of a patient who might be allergic to some medications (Fernandez et al, 2020).
Implications for Nursing Practice
The implications of the proposed idea of skillful communication are to foster positive patient outcomes by enabling care providers to solicit crucial care information. Patients suffering from the adverse effects of Covid during or after contracting the virus are seen as the most vulnerable unhealthy population than people suffering from chronic diseases (Fernandes et al, 2022). Covid patients need more attention and skillful communication to get an insight into what effects they are having post-Covid trauma and what is their prior medical history related to allergic reactions to some antibiotics.
Proposed Solution for Identified Project Topic
The solution provided for the proposed capstone project topic is effective communication among healthcare professionals along with the administration and management of the acute healthcare setting to foster health outcomes and for enhancing the credibility of the organization. New nurse practitioners should consult with seniors such as preceptors and nurses already working in the care environment for acquiring the necessary knowledge regarding medical resources (Gutiérrez-Puertas et al, 2020). It is anticipated that the medical center at the University of Miami where I have started my practicum for my capstone project will see positive results. The potential positive results include a decrease in avoidable costs for medical resources, positive patient outcomes, improved quality of care, decreased job frustration on the part of nurses, proper usage of resources, and management and prevention of Covid (Indra, 2018). Skillful communication will equate to the nurse-patient relationship and will help in maintaining quality standards of care within the medical center at the building of the University of Miami.
References
Sibiya, M. N. (2018). Effective communication in nursing. Nursing, 19, 20-34.
Indra, V. (2018). Effective Communication Skills for Nursing Practice: A Review. International Journal of Nursing Education and Research, 6(3), 311-314.
Gutiérrez-Puertas, L., Márquez-Hernández, V. V., Gutiérrez-Puertas, V., Granados-Gámez, G., & Aguilera-Manrique, G. (2020). Educational interventions for nursing students to develop communication skills with patients: a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(7), 2241.
Wang, Y. Y., Wan, Q. Q., Lin, F., Zhou, W. J., & Shang, S. M. (2018). Interventions to improve communication between nurses and physicians in the intensive care unit: An integrative literature review. International journal of nursing sciences, 5(1), 81-88.
Fowler, K. R., Robbins, L. K., & Lucero, A. (2021). Nurse manager communication and outcomes for nursing: An integrative review. Journal of nursing management, 29(6), 1486-1495.
Fernandez, R., Lord, H., Halcomb, E., Moxham, L., Middleton, R., Alananzeh, I., & Ellwood, L. (2020). Implications for COVID-19: A systematic review of nurses’ experiences of working in acute care hospital settings during a respiratory pandemic. International journal of nursing studies, 111, 103637.
Fernandes, J. B., Vareta, D. A., Fernandes, S., Castro, C., Simões, A., Peças, D., & Almeida, A. (2022). Nursing interventions that humanize care for patients affected by COVID-19 in isolation units: An integrative review. Infection, Disease & Health.
Ratna, H. (2019). The importance of effective communication in healthcare practice. Harvard Public Health Review, 23, 1-6.
