September, 28 2013
NUR 310 Nursing Leadership and Management
IOM Competencies Case Study Nurses who work night shift at hospitals are often faced with the dilemma of whether or not to call a physician for advice during the night. Fear of having to deal with an unpleasant doctor can be intimidating, as the physician is frequently asleep when being called. Failure to communicate has been linked to poor quality and patient errors, therefore nurses and doctors must communicate and work collaboratively in order to provide high quality and safe care to their patients. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends educating health professionals in five different areas: providing patient centered …show more content…
A structured communication tool such as the SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) can aid in a positive nurse-physician interaction. Using the SBAR format can help communication between health care professionals about a patient’s condition. “SBAR is an easy-to-remember, concrete mechanism useful for framing any conversation, especially critical ones, requiring a clinician’s immediate attention and action. It allows for an easy and focused way to set expectations for what will be communicated and how between members of the team, which is essential for developing teamwork and fostering a culture of patient safety” (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, n.d.).
Patients should be encouraged to participate in their own care. This is referred to as patient-centered care. This can benefit both the patient and staff. Nurses and physicians should provide the patients with choices, allow them to help make their own decisions, and offer them to take part in their care by performing things such as checking their own weight or taking their temperature. By empowering patients to take an active role in their care, this will lead to improved patient outcomes, increased self esteem, independence, increased patient compliance, and fewer misunderstandings.
The IOM has recommended that organizations focus quality improvement in the following six areas; safety, effectiveness, patient-centered, timely,