Effective Communication With Family Members And Patient In Healthcare

Importance of Effective Communication

Describe about the effective communication with family members and patient is a keystone of quality health care?

According to the scientist Gooberman-Hill (2012) effective communication with family members and patient is a keystone of quality health care (Gooberman-Hill, 2012). The way by which health care providers communicate information to their patients can be similarly important as the detail being conveyed by the patients. It is also seen in the nursing practice that patients judge the healthcare professional by the way they interact with them, hence efficient communication is at the center of delivering patient centered care. Therefore, introducing me to Doris at the very initial point of her wound care is of utmost important.

According to the NMC (2011), the nurses should ensure that they gain consent prior they initiate any care or treatment. NMC professional code of conduct (2008) states clear support that consent need to be obtained prior care delivery. Getting consent is said to be a process (Nmc-uk.org, 2015). Information need to be provided in a sensitive and understanding way, consisting individuals in their self care. Consenting prior to the treatment is considered as patient rights. Prior to the consent the physician should explain the patient specific details regarding the treatment in words, particularly in words that are legible by the patients. The physician should also briefly mention clinically important risks involved. If the patient is unable to provide a written consent then this can be obtained from the patient’s next guardian. If that is also not possible then a representative can be appointed through advanced directive or as allowed by law. Therefore, it can be said that the explanation of what I am going to perform is very much significant. To clearly explain the process I should mention her as much information as I can and also it is my responsibility that Doris understands what is going to happen.

It is always important to take permission, so that I can share important information with other significant professionals. This also comes under patient rights. A physician should be conscious enough about patient confidentiality. The contemporary code of nursing ethics states that nurses play a significant role in advocating and promoting patients’ rights associated with confidentiality and privacy. Health care professionals hear and see confidential information each and every day. Nursing practice involves full of these types of information (Soukup and Beason, 2000). Occasionally, professionals become very comfortable with clients’ information, where it becomes easy to overlook how significant it is to maintain that information private. At times, situations may appear where respective physician needs to consult with other professionals to increase the care quality and good patient outcome. In this case, the physician should obtain permission to share relevant information with other significant professionals. This will not create go against the law of maintaining patient privacy, as patient consent will be taken for the same.

Discussion of patient’s view, objectives and desired outcome prior to the treatment initiation is of utmost importance. This is because discussion makes thing clear about what is going inside the patient’s mind. This will definitely help a physician to plan a treatment in regards with the client’s perception. According to RCN, person centered care tries to make sure that an individual is an equivalent partner in the healthcare (Manley, Hills and Marriot, 2011). The health system and the individual both get benefits because the individual feels more satisfied with the care and the health system becomes more cost effective. Person centered care includes holism and respect, empowerment and power, autonomy and choice, compassion and empathy (Ghebrehiwet, 2011).

Gaining Consent for Care

Scientist Bozic et al. (2014) have illustrated on risk aspects of infections associated with surgical site (Bozic et al., 2012). Their research aimed to demonstrate the risk aspects in aged patients who had surgery after a fracture. Their results have shown that patients who stayed in the hospital for more than a week had statistically significant higher surgical site infection rate. The presence of infection was related with increased period of hospital stay. Infection transmission not only affects the health of the patients but it is also considered as a financial burden on healthcare organizations. Currently, infection control is considered as the discipline associated with prevention of healthcare related infections or nosocomial infection (Ruef, 2005). Infection control deals with factors associated with transmission of infections within healthcare set up. The spread could be from patients to staff or from patient to patient or from the nursing staff to patient (Huebinger et al., 2010). Therefore focusing on hand washing technique is very much justified. This also includes wearing protective clothing (Dancer, 2010).

Being a nurse it is my sole responsibility to take care of my patient’s comfort. As I know because of her wound she is unable to relocate or move, so I must help her to sit in a comfortable position and also I should check that her wound is creating no further complication (Fragala and Fragala, 2014). Scientist Gray and Krapfl (2008) have mentioned that frequent repositioning of patients prevent the chances of pressure ulcer formation. Placing patient in true lateral position is discouraged as it might cause more tissue interface pressure (Krapfl and Gray, 2008). So, arranging comfortable position for Doris to sit should be one of the most important nursing interventions.

Assessment of Doris’s wound is very much significant. This is because the aim of the nursing intervention is to reduce the size of the wound. Therefore, checking Doris’s wound, size, color, location and oozing condition are very much important. As per the clinical guidelines wound care assessment includes evaluation of wound bed, wound measurement, wound edges, exudate, infection, surrounding skin and pain (Anthony, 2000). So including these assessments in Doris’s case is justified. Taking pictures for further reference of the wound is also justified. This can be considered as documentation which is an important part of good nursing intervention.

When Doris was admitted in the nursing home, she had 90% slough skin, 10%granulating with smelly exudates. Her nursing care aims to reduce the size of her wound and therefore, the nursing intervention during her ongoing care should include assessment if the 90% slough skin has changed; increase in the amount of exudates smelly wound, checking whether wound is still 10% granulating or over granulating, checking for the presence of wound infection, inflammation or swelling.

According to Sevgi et al. (2014) wound tissue invasion and multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms may produce subsequent injuries to the tissues and develop to overt disease through various toxic or cellular mechanisms (Sevgi et al., 2014). The levels of bacterial impairment include colonization, contamination, topical infection, local infection, cellulties and sepsis. Hence, checking the wound whether it is infected or not is very much important. To check that collection of wound swab is important.

Maintaining Patient Confidentiality

Wound care is considered as an important part of patient recovery. Proper wound care stop infection and other issues and also help to heal the wound faster with a reduced amount of scarring (Hall, 2007). So, the main points are caring of wounds prevents infection, speeds healing and minimizes scarring. Therefore, wound dressing is of utmost important.

According to Donna Sardina (2015) normal saline solution is a favored cleansing agent as an isotonic solution and saline solution does not interfere with normal wound healing process (Woundcareadvisor.com, 2013). Therefore, cleaning Doris’s wound with normal saline is justified.

Proper selection of dressing for wound is very essential. This should include proper dressing size, availability, easy application and removal and skin friendly material. These can enhance rapid reduction of the size of the wound, which represents that the wound is healing rapidly.

Doris should be recommended with antibiotics if any sign of infection is present. Finally, patient education is also very important. According to Robinson et al. (2014) patients are recommended with decolonization treatment to eradicate methicillin resistant bacteria (Robinson, Edgley and Morrell, 2014). This is a complicated process and necessitates the care consumers to use antibacterial medicines, in terms of tablet or topical ointments as part of the treatment along with following thorough cleaning procedures to make sure that the surrounding is efficiently managed (Morrey, 2008). The researchers have compared effectiveness of two approaches: one with those who were only under the administration of the medication and the other one with those who were under the administration of antibacterial medications along with enhanced education (Chan and Lai, 2014). They have found out those patients with enhanced education demonstrated better understanding and knowledge of treatment application than those patients who did not receive any education regarding the treatment. So, it is justified to mention that educate Doris regarding ways to stop her having further wounds and risk evaluation is very much significant. 

The aim of the care of Doris is to reduce the size of the wound in her left leg. With the support of various journal articles it can be ultimately mentioned that the nursing and patient led information stated here will be of very much efficient, if properly implemented within the care set up to achieve patient health and wellbeing.

References

Anthony, D. (2000). Clinical guidelines: an increase in interest in the UK. Clinical Effectiveness in Nursing, 4(4), pp.198-204.

Bozic, K., Lau, E., Kurtz, S., Ong, K., Rubash, H., Vail, T. and Berry, D. (2012). Patient-Related Risk Factors for Periprosthetic Joint Infection and Postoperative Mortality Following Total Hip Arthroplasty in Medicare Patients. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American), 94(9).

Chan, L. and Lai, C. (2014). The Effect of Patient Education With Telephone Follow-up on Wound Healing in Adult Patients With Clean Wounds. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing, 41(4), pp.345-355.

Dancer, S. (2010). Control of Transmission of Infection in Hospitals Requires More than Clean Hands.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 31(9), pp.958-960.

Fragala, G. and Fragala, M. (2014). Improving the Safety of Patient Turning and Repositioning Tasks for Caregivers. Workplace Health & Safety, 62(7), pp.268-273.

Ghebrehiwet, T. (2011). Nurses and Person-Centred Care. IJPCM, 1(1), pp.20-22.

Gooberman-Hill, R. (2012). Qualitative Approaches to Understanding Patient Preferences. The Patient: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, 5(4), pp.215-223.

Hall, S. (2007). A review of the effect of tap water versus normal saline on infection rates in acute traumatic wounds. J Wound Care, 16(1), pp.38-41.

Huebinger, R., Gomez, R., McGee, D., Chang, L., Bender, J., O’Keeffe, T., Burris, A., Friese, S., Purdue, G., Hunt, J., Arnoldo, B., Horton, J. and Barber, R. (2010). Association Of Mitochondrial Allele 4216c With Increased Risk For Sepsis-Related Organ Dysfunction And Shock After Burn Injury. Shock, 33(1), pp.19-23.

Krapfl, L. and Gray, M. (2008). Does Regular Repositioning Prevent Pressure Ulcers?. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing, 35(6), pp.571-577.

Manley, K., Hills, V. and Marriot, S. (2011). Person-centred care: Principle of Nursing Practice D.Nursing Standard, 25(31), pp.35-37.

Morrey, B. (2008). Locally Administered Antibiotics for Prophylaxis Against Surgical Wound Infection. An in Vivo Study. Yearbook of Orthopedics, 2008, pp.1-2.

Nmc-uk.org, (2015). Introduction | Nursing and Midwifery Council. [online] Available at: https://www.nmc-uk.org/Publications/Standards/The-code/Introduction/ [Accessed 27 Feb. 2015].

Robinson, J., Edgley, A. and Morrell, J. (2014). MRSA care in the community: why patient education matters. British Journal of Community Nursing, 19(9), pp.436-441.

Ruef, C. (2005). Nosocomial Infections in Intensive Care Units. Infection, 33(3), pp.105-105.

Sevgi, M., Toklu, A., Vecchio, D. and Hamblin, M. (2014). Topical Antimicrobials for Burn Infections – An Update. PRI, 8(3), pp.161-197.

Soukup, M. and Beason, C. (2000). Evidence-based nursing practice. Philadelphia: Saunders.

Woundcareadvisor.com, (2013). Is your wound-cleansing practice up to date? | Wound Care Advisor. [online] Available at: https://woundcareadvisor.com/is-your-wound-cleansing-practice-up-to-date_vol2_no3/ [Accessed 27 Feb. 2015].