Topic > Communication within the nursing environment

The first task set by the University is based on how we communicate in different areas of nursing at different levels. Part of the research assignment involved researching communication, working together in a group, and commenting on articles researched by my colleagues. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The article I chose to analyze during this process is “Nurse Transfer: Patient and Staff Experiences” (Bruton et al 2016). The article refers to different types of handovers between medical professionals. The handover of the nurse between shifts is an act of transferring clinical responsibility along with medical information to the incoming staff. Reading the article I learned that patients preferred to be updated on their treatment (Lu et al 2014). According to the qualitative study, the interviews revealed that patients found this opportunity to be introduced to their nurses, they feel confident in knowing what is going on and have the opportunity to learn about themselves (Bruton et al 2016). The article made me realize that the bedside transition can sometimes make patients uncomfortable as their information is shared and discussed openly in front of others. The article helped me remember that handover should be done confidentially to avoid patient discomfort and leakage of sensitive information. One article published by a peer member was “Palliative Care Communication in Oncology Nursing” (Goldsmith et al 2012 ). It was about how to care for palliative patients and how to support their family according to the National Consensus Project's eight palliative care quality domains (Colby et al 2001). Reading the article I understood how oncology nurses place great value on communication within the palliative care environment. They are empathetic and supportive towards patients receiving long-term palliative care. The article helped me identify ways to communicate with patients and their families and how to provide moral support and comfort them in times of difficulty. The article also showed how palliative nurses take the time to listen carefully to patients with a positive attitude to meet their holistic needs. Another article I read from the web discussion group is “Pain Management in Cardiac Intensive Care Patients: Have We Improved Over Time?” (Gelinas 2007) I found the article informative and well presented. Reading the article I found out that after open heart surgery patients are sent to intensive care for recovery. Because of this major operation, the patient's ability to communicate is limited. As the text suggests, “Patients communicated the presence of pain through eye signals, facial expressions, or hand movements” (Gelinas 2007). The type of communication used in my work area is different as patients are less acute and can easily inform the nurse if they are in pain. According to Carr (1990) patients did not tell medical staff that they were in pain unless prompted, and this is still the case in the 21st century (Gelinas 2007). Since I work in a cardiac department where I prepare patients for heart surgery, the article taught me to inform patients to ask for painkillers after surgery. The final article published by a member of the group was “Minimizing Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema” (Acebedo 2014). It was an interesting article that explained in depth the.