Talk to Me-Clear Communication Is the Best Protection.pptx

Importance of Communication in Critical Care

1. Talk to Me-Clear Communication Is the Best Protection

2. INTRODUCTION Today's legal construct of a registered nurse is an assertive, decisive health care provider, with increasing professional accountability. Over the past 20 years, we have witnessed an increase in the number of nurses named as individual defendants in lawsuits. This is a change from the more historically prevalent practice of holding hospitals directly liable for their employees' actions, a practice known as respondent superior.

3. Concern of the Parents Within the setting of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), levels of stress run high for parents and families. Oftentimes they find themselves in an unexpected situation and in the extremely alien world of the NICU. The majority of what is occurring to and around their child is foreign. Without consistent and appropriate dialogue between health care providers and families, misunderstandings and mistrust can develop.

4. Why Litigation It is natural and appropriate for parents to be protective of their child: as nurses, we can choose to either embrace this instinct or fight against it. By choosing to embrace it, such as encouraging vigilance for hand washing, both parent and provider are able to come together to work toward a common goal. But when health care providers choose not to work collaboratively with families such as becoming irritated when parents ask for some flexibility in the schedule or why something is done a certain way, animosity between the health care team and family may develop. It is when this breakdown of dialogue and increase in miscommunication occurs that most threats of suit follow.

5. Two-Way Communication A parent's understanding and awareness of their infant’s condition and situation constantly changes throughout their child's stay in the NICU. Many of us believe from our previous experiences the NICU is a place where its 3 steps forward 1 step back. It's our job, as part of the health care