capstone reply post 2 150 words must use citations
Caring and communication are two of the fundamental elements at the foundation of nursing. It is widely accepted that patient-centered care is complementary to the healing process. As discussed in our Chamberlain Week Two Lesson (2019), patient outcomes are measured and evaluated, when these outcomes do not meet standards of practice changes may be initiated. Cultivating caring environments and the patient’s perception of being cared for are related to positive patient outcomes. These elements contribute to the culture of nursing.
Describe caring attributes of the culture where you currently practice. Which attributes stand out as having significant influence on patients, nurses, and other healthcare professionals?
Attributes in the hospital where I currently practice, that contribute to a culture of caring, are patient-centered care, timeliness of assistance and care, knowledgeable staff, and therapeutic communication. According to Edvardson (2016), a patient’s quality of care ratings are directly linked to their perception of person-centeredness and feeling cared for. Patient-centered care and patient advocacy support the development of trusting nurse-patient relationships. When patients trust their care providers, they feel safe, which facilitates a healing environment. Timeliness contributes to caring culture because when a patient’s needs are met in a timely manner, they will experience less stress and build confidence in their care. Knowledge and continuing education contribute to caring atmosphere because when patients feel confident in their providers, they feel that they are receiving a higher level of care. Through therapeutic communication, presence, and effective patient teaching, we connect with our patients and support them on their path to health. All of these stand out for me when I think of attributes that play a role in influencing patients, nurses and other healthcare professionals in the hospital where I work.
How do you see effective communication relating to patient outcomes in this setting? What is the evidence for this?
The connection between communication and patient outcomes is a positive one. Good communication with our patients undoubtedly leads to better patient outcomes. Studies have shown that when patients are informed in reduces their level of stress and keeps them involved them in their care. According to Street Jr. et al. (2009), clear communication between providers and patients can influence patient outcomes for many reasons. Some of these improvements in patient outcomes are based on development of trust, increased patient understanding, improved pain management, and lessened patient anxiety (Street Jr. et al., 2009). These indirectly effect outcomes through improving patient adherence, increasing understanding for patient’s self-care, improved medical decision making, better social support and improved management of emotions (Street Jr. et al., 2009). Bringing the patient into the picture as an active member of their care through communication, benefits the patient as well as their providers by improving patient outcomes.
References
Chamberlain University College of Nursing. (2019, July). RN Capstone Course NR451-62005. Week Two Lesson. Retrieved from https://chamberlain.instructure.com/courses/45610/pages/week-2-lesson-foundational-concepts?module_item_id=5900840
Edvardsson, D., Watt, E., & Pearce, F. (2017). Patient experiences of caring and personâ€centredness are associated with perceived nursing care quality. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 73(1), 217-227. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1111/jan.13105?sid=worldcat.org (Links to an external site.)
Street Jr, R.L., Makoul, G., Arora, N.K., & Epstein, R.M. (2009). How does communication heal? Pathways linking clinician–patient communication to health outcomes. Patient education and counseling, 74(3), 295-301. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/45519621/How_Does_Communication_Heal_Pathways_Lin20160510-28181-24nig.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DHow_does_communication_heal_Pathways_lin.pdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A%2F20190714%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20190714T050805Z&X-Amz-Expires=3600&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=d7302277a07b836e2d65d3dbd90bfa2ffa8d9802f4f75439b7354054eaea7170 (Links to an external site.)