replies week 4: #1   Effective communication is... | Nursing

Clinical Requirement:

#1   Effective communication is essential in the field of nursing. Establishing a strong rapport between nurses and patients is important for delivering high-quality care. In healthcare environments, communication facilitates interaction between providers and patients. Proficient communication enables healthcare professionals to earn the trust of their patients. When there are obstacles to communication, it can adversely impact the quality of care provided (Abdulla et al., 2022). Often, I witness nurses or providers relying on family members or friends of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) rather than providing language translation services available on hospital i-mobiles. In the first step of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP), clinical questions are framed using a specific structure known as PICOT, which stands for Patient population, Intervention or issue of concern, Comparison intervention or group, Outcome, and Time frame (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2023). This structure aids in developing a search strategy that produces the most pertinent and highest-quality evidence from the literature available.  P (Patient/Population): Hospitalized patients with limited English proficiency I (Intervention): Using a professional medical interpreter C (Comparison): Relying on family members as interpreters O (Outcome): Improved patient understanding of discharge instructions T (Timeframe): Within 24 hours of discharge Among hospitalized patients with limited English proficiency, does utilizing a professional medical interpreter compared to relying on family members affect patient understanding of instructions upon discharge from the hospital? #2   My nurse-driven topic is “How Can We Reduce The Spread of Hospital Acquired Infections as Healthcare Professionals?” PICOT Question: In hospitalized patients (P), how does the implementation of a supervised and regulated hand hygiene program (I)compare to standard hand hygiene practices (C) impact the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections (O) within six months (T)? Why it may be a nursing problem even though other healthcare professionals interact with hospital patients: It is because nursing staff play a crucial role in direct patient care, and we are often the first line of defense against when it comes to our patients and the spread of infections in our patients. However, barriers like high patient-to-nurse ratios, time allowance between patients, staffing issues, low supplies, and inconsistent hand hygiene protocols have been proven to decrease the spread of infections.  So, on the contrary, it increases the risk of HAIs. Nursing roles and responsibilities include infection prevention measures, such as hand hygiene, taking care of catheters, wound care, and consistently monitoring patients for early signs of infection. If we do not perform these measures consistently or effectively, the risk of HAIs increases, negatively impacting patient safety, and rising healthcare costs for both the hospital and the patient.  Addressing HAIs through improved nursing practices ensures better patient outcomes and supports the overall quality of care in healthcare settings.