Nurses Learn How to Effectively Communicate With The Healthcare Team

Nurses Learn How to Effectively Communicate With The Healthcare Team

Always do what is best for your patient. This will involve speaking with providers and various team members. Speaking with providers is a skill that takes time to master.

Shy & Bryan, RN’s - hemodialysis

There are some helpful tips that will make communicating with providers more effective, time-efficient, and beneficial for you and your patients. Quite honestly, the facilities I’ve worked at that protect their providers and ancillary staff’s time and energy tend to have the best relationship with the whole team. 

• Be sure everyone on your unit that needs Dr. Brown, for example, is available and ready to speak with Dr. Brown at the same time. The charge nurse is often helpful in facilitating this. 
• Be sure you have gathered all the necessary information to effectively communicate. Current labs, assessment findings, vital signs, and medication questions should be thoroughly evaluated and discussed all at once. 
• Lastly, be sure you document ALL communications with ALL specialties including ATTEMPTED communication. If you’ve paged a provider regarding the pt’s elevated BP and you have not received a return phone call be sure you document effectively and let your charge nurse know. For example, “RN paged Dr. Brown @ 2245, 2300, 2330 regarding Pt’s elevated BP. No return phone call as of 0000.” Then be sure you’ve documented the interventions you’ve done otherwise. Rechecked BP, elevated HOB, etc.