A program to improve communication and collaboration between nurses and medical residents

• Published in: The Journal of continuing education in nursing 2010-04, Vol.41 (4), p.172-178
• Main Authors: McCaffrey, Ruth G, Hayes, Rosemarie, Stuart, Wendy, Cassell, Asenath, Farrell, Cheryl, Miller-Reyes, Charmin, Donaldson, Audeanne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Caring; Clinical Competence; Clinical outcomes; Collaboration; Communication; Communication Problems; Communication Skills; Cooperative Behavior; Cultural Background; Decision making; Education, Continuing - organization & administration; Family Problems; Female; Focus Groups; Follow-Up Studies; Gender Differences; Graduate Students; Hospitals; Humans; Interpersonal Relationship; Job Satisfaction; Male; Medical Education; Medical errors; Medical residencies; Medical Staff, Hospital - education; Medical Staff, Hospital - psychology; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing care; Nursing education; Nursing Education Research; Nursing Methodology Research; Nursing skills; Nursing Staff, Hospital - education; Nursing Staff, Hospital - psychology; Patient safety; Patients; Physician-Nurse Relations; Physicians; Professional Role - psychology; Program Development; Program Evaluation; Researchers; Role Conflict; Verbal Communication; Work environment; Workforce planning; Workplace - psychology
• ISSN: 0022-0124; 1938-2472
• DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20100326-04

A program was implemented for nurses and medical residents to improve communication and collaboration. It has been noted that communication and collaboration between members of the health care team improve patient outcomes and job satisfaction among nurses. Nurses on the unit where medical residents trained attended a 2-hour educational program that reviewed effective communication styles and positive aspects of collaboration, including role-playing examples. Medical residents received a self-learning packet with a posttest that was returned to researchers when completed. Focus groups, including both nurses and medical residents, were held twice a month for 6 months after the educational program. Overall improvements in communication, collaboration, patient outcomes, and job satisfaction were noted from the focus group data. The educational program proved to be successful in improving collaboration and communication between nurses and medical residents, which in turn improved patient care.