Comparison of standardized and customized SBAR communication tools to prevent nursing home resident transfer

Effect of a BSHP process on clinical work ability of nurses in a children's cardiac intensive care unit

Background

Nurse shift change is the key step to ensuring the integrity, dynamics, and continuity of clinical nursing in intensive care units.

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of a bedside shift handover process (BSHP) on the clinical work ability of first-line clinical nurses in a children's cardiac intensive care unit (CICU).

Methods

This quasi-experimental study was performed on the first-line clinical nurses working in a pediatric CICU at Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between July and December, 2018. Participants were trained by the BSHP. This article is based on the STROBE checklist.

Results

A total of 41 nurses were trained, with 34 women. The nurses in the intensive care unit showed significantly improved clinical work ability, including the ability to assess illness/find problems, master professional knowledge, standardized hands-on ability, ability to express communication, strain handling capacity, and humanistic care and accomplishment (all P < 0.05), after training.

Conclusion

BSHP might improve the clinical work ability for pediatric CICU nurses through a standardization shift handover. The traditional oral shift change in CICU can easily cause an information distortion, and it is difficult or even impossible to arouse the nurses' enthusiasm. This study suggested that BSHP might be an alternative shift change process for pediatric CICU nurses.

Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation Technique Improves Nurse-Physician Communication and Patient Satisfaction in Cataract Surgeries

Background

Implementation of the Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) communication technique has been shown to increase nurse-physician communication and collaboration. However, data regarding its implementation in ophthalmology settings are limited.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of implementing SBAR on nurse-physician communication and on the safety and satisfaction of patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ophthalmology Department of Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China, from April 2016 to December 2018. SBAR was implemented through a 1-h course that was repeated every 2 months for 2 years. All nurses and physicians completed the Physician-Nurse Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire before SBAR implementation and 1- and 2-year post-implementation. In addition, all patients who underwent cataract surgery during the defined pre-implementation and 1- and 2-year post-implementation periods were invited to complete a patient satisfaction questionnaire.

Results

In total, 10 nurses and 6 physicians completed all three pre- and post-implementation surveys. In addition, 1215 patients undergoing cataract surgery participated: 358 in the pre-implementation phase, 425 in the 1-year post-implementation, and 432 in the 2-year post-implementation. Physician-nurse communication significantly improved in both 1- and 2-year post-implementation periods compared with the pre-implementation phase (P < 0.01). In addition, there was a significant increase in patient satisfaction scores (P < 0.01) and a decrease in medical complaints and malpractices (P < 0.01) between the pre- and post-implementation phases.

Conclusion

SBAR is a useful tool for enhancing nurse-physician communication and for improving the safety and satisfaction of patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Exploring a Nursing Home-Specific, Interdisciplinary, Function-Focused, Communicative Framework Based on Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation

BACKGROUND

Improved methods of communication are needed among professionals in related fields to address the increasing complexity of clinical situations and various levels of functioning experienced by older adults who live in nursing homes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore function-focused clinical communication among nurses and providers based on the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) approach toward interdisciplinary collaboration to maintain function among nursing home residents and to identify the characteristics of SBAR flows in nursing homes.

METHODS

Detailed interviews with 28 interdisciplinary professionals working in four nursing homes were conducted. Directed qualitative content analysis was used to identify the internal attributes of SBAR-based communication. Case analysis was conducted to identify SBAR flows.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged as key factors for function-focused interdisciplinary staff communication in nursing homes. Effective nursing care to maintain function among nursing home residents requires accurate awareness of abnormal circumstances. Knowledge of assessment and resident background are needed to address situations requiring intervention and identify the problems underlying a resident's current state. The optimal therapeutic environment is created by sharing roles and tasks among practitioners through referrals.Twelve generalized situations requiring function-focused communication (i.e., dislocation of body line because of joint contracture, change in walking, difficulty of moving because of pain, difficulty in eating, fever, change in sleep pattern, change in excretion pattern, change in weight, change in condition, change in problematic behavior, decrease in cognitive function, and change in relationships) and the related nurse-centered SBAR pathways were identified.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

These results represent a first prototype for developing practical communication guidelines for nursing-home-specific function-focused care and provide new insights into the interdisciplinary approach.

Creating Shared Meaning: Communication Between Nurses and Physicians in Nursing Homes

The current study sought to obtain pilot data from a Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) communication intervention focused on the shared meaning construct of the sensemaking model and explore shared meaning in communication between nursing home (NH) nurses and physicians. The study design was an exploratory sequential mixed method with a pre/post quasi-experiment. Grounded theory was used to collect and analyze nurse and physician interviews and medical records. The Pathway to Shared Meaning model illustrating distinct processes supported use of the sensemaking model for understanding nurse-physician communication. Quantitative changes in communication were not significant. Shared meaning and training in SBAR for communication can be used to strengthen the design and use of structured communication in NHs.

TARGETS

Nurses and physicians providing direct care in NHs.

INTERVENTION DESCRIPTION

Stories describing nurse-physician sharing of resident information using SBAR.

MECHANISM OF ACTION

Mutual understanding of one another's perspective enhances communication.

OUTCOME

Communication openness and satisfaction. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2019; 12(3):121-132.].