Change of shift report occurring at the patient’s bedside with these essential components:
Regular nursing rounds conducted hourly during the day and evening and every 2 hours during the overnight shift enable nurses to address proactively patient needs that would otherwise prompt use of the call light.
A process encouraged by the Joint Commission to ensure that patients and family members have a voice in all care planning and are empowered to challenge their healthcare team related to their care plan including all orders, medications and test.
a form of closed loop communication where a patient reads-back critical instructions or information to ensure the patient or responsible patient advocate fully understand their plan of care.
Created by the National Patient Safety Foundation, AskMe3 should be used every time a patient talks with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist by asking 3 questions to better understand your health.
Who I am, What I am Doing, and Why I Care was originated by the Florida Hospital System as a simple, yet effective way to reliably greet, engage, and activate patients and families.
One method of providing mutual support is through task assistance. Task assistance is guided by situation monitoring because situation awareness allows team members to effectively identify the need for assistance by others on the team. To a certain degree, some of us have been conditioned to avoid asking for help because of the fear of suggesting lack of knowledge or confidence. Many people refuse to seek assistance when overwhelmed by tasks. In support of patient safety, however, task assistance is expected. What can happen when we are overwhelmed and we do not seek task assistance?
Handoffs include the transfer of knowledge and information about the degree of uncertainty (or certainty about diagnoses, etc.), response to treatment, recent changes in condition and circumstances, and the plan (including contingencies). In addition, both authority and responsibility are transferred. Lack of clarity about who is responsible for care and for decision-making has often been a major contributor to medical error (as identified in root cause analyses of sentinel events and poor outcomes).
A call-out is a tactic used to communicate critical information during an emergent event. Critical information called out in these situations helps the team anticipate and prepare for vital next steps in patient care. It also benefits a recorder when present during a code or emergent event. One important aspect of a call-out is directing the information to a specific individual.
SBAR provides a standardized framework for members of the healthcare team to communicate about a patient’s condition. SBAR is an easy-to-remember, concrete mechanism that is useful for framing any conversation, often a critical one requiring a clinician’s immediate attention and action. SBAR originated in the U.S. Navy submarine community to quickly provide critical information to the Captain. It provides members of the team with an easy and focused way to set expectations for what will be communicated and how. Standards of communication are essential for developing teamwork and fostering a culture of patient safety. In phrasing a conversation with another member of the team, consider the following:
SBAR provides a vehicle for individuals to speak up and express concern in a concise manner.
