Elsevier

Nurse Education in Practice

Volume 19, July 2016, Pages 36-40
Nurse Education in Practice

Review
Interprofessional communication in healthcare: An integrative review

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2016.04.005Get rights and content

Abstract

The link between miscommunication and poor patient outcomes has been well documented. To understand the current state of knowledge regarding interprofessional communication, an integrative review was performed. The review suggested that nurses and physicians are trained differently and they exhibit differences in communication styles. The distinct frustrations that nurses and physicians expressed with each other were discussed. Egos, lack of confidence, lack of organization and structural hierarchies hindered relationships and communications. Research suggested that training programs with the use of standardized tools and simulation are effective in improving interprofessional communication skills. Recommendations include education beyond communication techniques to address the broader related constructs of patient safety, valuing diversity, team science, and cultural humility. Future directions in education are to add courses in patient safety to the curriculum, use handover tools that are interprofessional in nature, practice in simulation hospitals for training, and use virtual simulation to unite the professions.

Section snippets

Background

The link between miscommunication and poor patient outcomes has been well documented (The Joint Commission, 2015). Ineffective communication in healthcare results in delayed treatment, misdiagnosis, medication errors, patient injury, or death. Improving the effectiveness of communication in healthcare is a global priority (ACSQHC, 2012; IPEC, 2011).

Literature has highlighted the importance of interprofessional training and educational reform (Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional

Methods

With the aim to obtain the current state of knowledge regarding interprofessional communication, Whittemore and Knafl (2005)’s integrative review method was applied. The literature search included searching relevant databases (PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, and Google Scholar), mining reference lists of selected articles, and reviewing recommendations from experts. Databases were searched using the terms interprofessional communication, SBAR, nursing, and simulation, in the context of both

Results

The review comprised of 18 research studies, six short papers, three literature reviews, and one theoretical framework paper. The categories emerged of interprofessional communication amongst healthcare professionals and interprofessional communication amongst students. Differences in communication styles as well as select frustrations surfaced. The research suggested that interprofessional communication skills can be significantly improved with training, including use of simulation and

Discussion

This review contributes to the literature by bringing awareness to differences in communication styles as well as expressed frustrations of nurses and physicians with each other. By having this awareness, educators and providers can work to tailor curricula to address this diversity to alleviate this dissonance. The research suggested that education and training efforts have demonstrated success, providing evidence to warrant continued support for interprofessional education efforts. Although

Conclusion

This is an exciting time in nursing education as educators strive to transform traditional pedagogy to better incorporate interprofessional engagement to improve learning outcomes. The need for improved interprofessional communication training in the healthcare setting and academic setting is clear. The varied training, styles, and expectations of the interprofessional cultures contributes to this problem and warrants awareness so that education can be tailored to address the problem.

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