Exploring the Relationship Between Nurses Communication Satisfaction and Patient Safety Culture Assessment Answer

Introduction

The landscape of healthcare across the United Kingdom can be stated as dynamic in nature, which is one of the central concerns pertaining to the interplay between nurses' communication satisfaction as well as the patient safety culture that is prevalent as of now in the UK. The following scholarly undertaking is going to delve into the crucial labyrinth between these two factors. Aside from that, the research will also demonstrate the gravity of the topic within the context of healthcare system in the UK.

The notion of quality communication amidst healthcare professionals has been consistently underscored throughout the healthcare system prevalent in the United Kingdom through its policies as well as clinical guidelines as a rudimentary faculties of patient safety and quality care. The ability of registered nurses to fosters meaningful relationship through communication efficiently and effectively not only impacts the outcomes of individual patients but also the broadens the scope of delivering a holistic care that is oriented towards safety and well-being of the patient population. In light of this, it is imperative to expound upon the extent to which nurses' communication satisfaction contributes to the broader patient safety culture in the UK healthcare system.

Key Terms:

1. Communication Satisfaction: This refers to the magnitude through which nurses can feel content and fulfilled in their communication processes, apart from information exchange, and collaborative efforts within healthcare settings.
2. Patient Safety Culture: This term is coined in order to elaborate the shared values, demeanour, and practices prevalent within healthcare organizations that concentrates upon patient safety, all while emphasizing error prevention, in order to stimulate free flow of information among healthcare professionals.

The gravity of this research is delineated by the potential to reveal deeper insights that can result in inculcating amendments in the realm of patient safety as well as fortifying care quality. By gaining better cognizance regarding the relationship between nurses' communication satisfaction and patient safety culture, policymakers pertinent with healthcare can incorporate informed decisions while enhancing healthcare practices and policies in the UK.

This research is propelled by a genuine knack in contributing to the broader understanding of the gravity of communication dynamics in the field of nurses’ influence patient safety culture. The sheer necessity for such insights has never been more pertinent, in view of the fact that the landscape of healthcare delivery is ever evolving in nature, which means that although with the aid of technological advancements, there is always a scope for augmenting the healthcare services and satiate the evolving expectations of patients and their families in a seamless manner.

Throughout the course of this research endeavour, the existing literature is navigated to construct a comprehensive cognizance of these pivotal concepts and their interplay within the UK healthcare system. The following exploration will shed light on the intricacies of communication satisfaction among nurses and the ways it shapes and is shaped by the patient safety culture, thereby intending to foster a safer and more effective healthcare environment in the United Kingdom.

Literature Search

For the sake of navigating the intricacies between nurses' communication satisfaction with patient safety culture in the United Kingdom, a literature search that is systematic was conducted. The process revolves around the determination of pertinent keywords as well as the inculcation of diverse academic databases. The following keywords were used: "nurses," "communication satisfaction," "patient safety culture," and "United Kingdom." These keywords were used cumulatively with Boolean operators "and" and "or" to streamline the search results effectively.

Initially, the search was carried out across key academic databases, such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Science Direct. In this context, filters were also inculcated to restrict the outcomes to English-language publications and those published within the course of past decade to make certain the coherency as well as currency of the literature. The primary search resulted in revealing a substantial literature corpus of articles, which were later on, filtered by applying additional criteria related to the research methodology and geographical location. Precisely, the search outcomes were narrowed down to quantitative studies conducted in the United Kingdom.

This resultant of this aforementioned rigorous selection process is reflected in the determination of an array of articles that substantiates the ground of the literature review for this research. The selected articles encompass a variety of research designs, including surveys and qualitative studies, which will be discussed in detail in the subsequent sections of the assignment. A summary of the search process and the details of the identified papers will be presented in tabular form for clarity and transparency.

Literature Review

The literature review intended for this research project solitarily gravitates towards expounding upon the relationship between communication satisfaction emanating from registered nurses’ practices and patient safety culture across the United Kingdom. The review is organized into three main thematic areas on the basis of the papers identified during the course of the literature search.

Theme 1: Communication Satisfaction Among Nurses

One of the intriguing aspects of healthcare delivery revolves around communication satisfaction amidst registered nurses, which not only influences patient safety, but at the same time also ensures that overall holistic care is delivered to the healthcare consumer. Several scholarly articles have intricately analyzed the perspective of nurses regarding communication satisfaction in order to illustrate the gravity it plays and factors which influence it in the long run.

Kabir & Razia, 2020, carried out the survey on a sample size of 153 registered nurses in order to determine the role played by a modified technology acceptance model, so that factors which influences the acceptance of electronic health record, which is more commonly referred to as EHRs, can be taken into consideration. Throughout the course of the scholarly endeavor, it is revealed that acceptance of nurses regarding technology not only plays the pivotal factor, but at the same time also acts as a central component of communication in the realm of modern healthcare. Simply put, it can be stated that if adequate measures are not taken into consideration in terms of enhancing the knowledge horizon of registered nurses, then the feasibility of their acceptance regarding the new technology is significantly less. The consequences of which would be revealed directly in their inadequate communication or disruptive flow of communication to the healthcare consumers. The outcome of this study highlights the gravity of training and support required in terms of augmenting the knowledge horizon of registered nurses, so that they can provide adequate support with electronic health records to the patients. Aside from that, the article also emphasizes the gravity of facilitating effective communication and its relationship with necessary substantiation from managerial authority of healthcare facilities.

However, due to relatively limited sample size taken into consideration in this study, it would not be imperative to generalize the outcome as well as relate to the research findings, since only a handful of healthcare facilities are taken into regard of a particular region, which not only affects the generalizability, but at the same time, the findings cannot be juxtaposed to the broader context. 

On a similar note, Ree & Wiig, 2019, spearheaded a recent study that stumble upon the gravity of adequate training and support and its necessity in terms of ameliorating the communication satisfaction of nurses, during the course of inculcating digital technologies in healthcare facilities, which have no prior experience in this context. The outcome of this scholarly article aligns with ensuring the gravity of addressing technological aspects of communication satisfaction, if integrating digital health solution is the way focused by the healthcare facility.

Theme 2: Patient Safety Culture in Healthcare

The notion of patient safety culture across healthcare depicts beliefs, shared values as well as practices that is relevant within the healthcare organization, which revolves around emphasizing the safety of patient all while facilitating open communication channels.

Mihdawi et al., 2020 executed research that demonstrates the significance of patient safety culture across healthcare facilities in the United Kingdom. Throughout the course of the article various healthcare facilities are considered which emphasizes on patient safety culture, the research findings highlighted that if immense significance is imposed upon patient safety, then not only medical errors are reduced, but at the same time, patient outcomes are also improved to a great extent. A notable aspect in this context is that the purpose of health care is to ensure the well-being of healthcare consumers. Hence, emphasizing patient safety culture should always be pivotal in nature. If this alignment is respected by healthcare facilities, then the feasibility of these institutions to establish proper protocols to reduce medical error and experience augmented patient outcome is substantially high. In light of this findings, healthcare organizations which are operational across the globe can also look forward to device new mechanisms through which an ambience can be fostered where registered nurses feel comfortable reporting errors and near-misses, in order to align with the broader goals of patient safety culture. The grave concern in today's healthcare is that the novelty associated with the service provided has been reduced extensively to a mere form of business. Subsequently, translating healthcare into checks and balances, where profitability is emphasized over delivering holistic care to patients, thereby reducing or completely diminishing the significance of patient safety. This attitude towards healthcare facilities should be eradicated once and for all, in order to concentrate upon augmenting patient outcomes, which is not only beneficial for the patient, but at the same time would enhance the brand equity of the healthcare facility, thereby making it more lucrative for willing healthcare consumers to opt as their first choice during a time of need.

Theme 3: The Interplay Between Communication Satisfaction and Patient Safety Culture

Lee et al., 2019, conducted a study that directly investigated the link between communication satisfaction and patient safety culture. This research particularly illustrates an immense positive correlation between nurses' communication satisfaction and the patient safety culture within their healthcare organization. This posits that when nurses feel more satisfied with communication processes, then inherently the patient safety culture tends to be stronger, which solitarily emphasizes the intertwined nature of these factors in healthcare settings.

Theme 4: Barriers to Effective Nurse Communication

The contribution of effective communication amidst nurses is unequivocally pivotal for ensuring patient safety culture across healthcare settings. The study undertaken by Danielsson et al., 2019, demonstrated that it is crucial to determine the barriers to nurse communication across the UK healthcare setting. The characteristic feature of this article is that it highlighted that a sheer dearth of time, when coupled with heavy workload, results in disruptive flow of communication, especially across extensive hierarchical structures within healthcare organizations. Hence, for advocating open and effective flow of communication among nurses, it is imperative to identify the impediments and inculcate necessary measures to maintain satisfactory communication, which can, in turn, impact patient safety culture. In a similar vein, Hessels et al., 2019, extrapolated the influence of nurse staffing levels on communication satisfaction and patient safety culture in UK hospitals. The outcome of this scholarly undertaking demonstrated a clear link between understaffing as well as decreased communication satisfaction among nurses. In other words, if a healthcare setting is managed with inadequate workforce, then the feasibility of affecting patient safety culture is extensively high. In view of the fact that the majority of critical conditions would be unmonitored, thereby subsequently leading to fatal consequences. Hence, the study reinforced the importance of adequate staffing levels in fostering a culture of safety and effective communication.

Theme 5: Interventions to Enhance Communication Satisfaction and Patient Safety Culture

Alsabri et al., 2022, conducted a qualitative study exploring the impact of communication skills training programs on nurses' communication satisfaction and patient safety culture in the UK. Their research revealed that such training programs can significantly enhance communication satisfaction among nurses and contribute positively to patient safety culture. This highlights the potential of targeted interventions in addressing the communication aspect of patient safety culture in the UK healthcare system. Aouicha et al., 2021, similarly shed light regarding the role of leadership in promoting a culture of safety and effective communication in UK healthcare organizations. The outcomes delineated that exemplary leadership is predominantly defined when clear channels of communication streamlines healthcare, thereby safeguarding the notion of patient safety culture. This emphasizes the role of leadership interventions in creating an environment conducive to effective nurse communication and patient safety.

All in all, the aforementioned literature reviewed highlights the complex and interconnected nature of communication satisfaction among nurses, patient safety culture, and the integration of technology in healthcare settings.

Proposing a Change in Practice: Enhancing Nurse Communication Training for Improved Patient Safety Culture

On the basis of extensive aforementioned literature review carried out, concerning the intricacies between nurses' communication satisfaction and patient safety culture in the United Kingdom, it is evident that there is a critical necessity to address communication-related issues within healthcare organizations. A noteworthy practical amendment that is feasible to be incorporated is the amelioration of training programs which are oriented to augment the nurse’s communication so that an improved patient safety culture can be fostered.

Background:

The cornerstone of ensuring patient safety culture among healthcare professionals revolves around maintaining effective communication (Liukka et al., 2021). However, the literature review revealed that there are divers impediments to effective nurse communication, such as heavy workloads as well as hierarchical structures that prevents free flow of communication, and in certain instances inadequate staffing levels. These impediments act as hindrances towards communication satisfaction amidst nurses and negatively influences patient safety culture.

Proposed Change:

The proposed change revolves around revamping and broadening the communication training programs for nurses in the UK. This change would entail the following elements:

1. Comprehensive Communication Skills Training: The first course of action that is required in this instance is to inculcate the comprehensive communication skill training which is oriented to emphasize consolidating verbal as well as nonverbal communication for registered nurses, so that they can understand the gravity of active listening, empathetic responses as well as effective teamwork. These programs should be mandatory for all nursing staff and tailored to different levels of experience.
2. Simulation-Based Training: Integrating training modules that are simulation based would inherently broaden the mental horizon of nurses to delve into intricate practices of communication in the realm of healthcare scenario, which replicates realistic circumstances, so that they can refine and develop their skills, all while advocating confidence and competence simultaneously (Garcia et al., 2019).
3. Leadership Training: Understanding the intricacies associated with leadership should also be a part and parcel of the training program, so that nurse managers and supervisors are empowered to foster a culture of open communication and provide necessary support within their teams. This is a strategic measure that should be concentrated upon in light of the fact that effective leadership solitarily plays a crucial role in shaping patient safety culture.
4. Interprofessional Communication: Encourage interprofessional communication training to improve collaboration and communication among different healthcare disciplines. This should include joint training sessions with doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals to promote a shared understanding of effective communication practices.

Expected Outcomes:

Inculcating enhanced communication training programs for nurses is expected to yield various positive outcomes which are mentioned hereinunder:

1. It is expected that communication network would improve significantly, since nurses who are subjected to undergo the comprehensive training are more likely to experience enhanced communication satisfaction. The consequences of which would inherently augment teamwork as well as collaboration. Aside from that, enhancing communication would solitarily improve patient safety culture, that is prevalent across the health care facility. For instance, if a healthcare facility is experiencing challenges in terms of enhancing its patient safety culture, can opt for this training program, once graduated from this program, the workforce is prone to contribute positively towards safeguarding patient safety culture by reporting minute errors as well as near misses. In addition to that, due to extensive sharing of information in a seamless and swift manner, patient safety would be prioritized under all circumstances across this healthcare setting to a great extent, which would in turn augment the brand equity of the healthcare facility, all while providing holistic care to its healthcare consumers (Ree & Wiig, 2020).
2. One of the characteristic attributes of this entire training program is that it is oriented to eliminate the concept of medical error completely, while inculcating effective communication across all strata of the healthcare facility. However, besides enhancing communication skills which can solitarily mitigate the concept of medical error and prevent adversarial circumstances to occur as mishaps, patient outcomes throughout this training would also be augmented due to positive impact on job satisfaction across registered nurses working in the healthcare facility. At the outset, this training program emphasizes significantly enhancing job satisfaction. For instance, nurses who feel confident in their communication abilities are likely to experience higher job satisfaction, which can contribute to staff retention and improved overall healthcare quality.

Implementation Plan:

1. For the sake of incorporating the aforementioned amendment successfully, healthcare organizations should adhere by the following measures:
2. It is imperative to allocate resources necessary for ameliorating and prompt delivery of communication training programs.
3. Besides collaborating with educators and training experts to design and implement effective training modules, it is prudent to continually monitor and intricately assess the ramifications of training on communication satisfaction and patient safety culture. This can only be accomplished by periodic assessments and feedback mechanisms (Azyabi, Karwowski & Davahli, 2021).
4. Continuously updating and adapting to ever changing course of evolving healthcare communication challenges, should be inculcated in the training programs. Besides amending the training programs, enhancing nurse communication training should also be the focal point of the training program.

The proposal to enhance nurse communication training programs in the United Kingdom not only has significant advantages for healthcare professionals but also yields substantial benefits for service users and contributes to the discipline of healthcare as a whole. This amendment not only promises to create a positive ripple effect throughout the healthcare system, but at the same time would also result to enhanced patient safety, which would inherently result in ameliorated care quality, thereby transforming the nursing profession more robust.

Benefits to Service Users:

1. One of the first benefits that can be derived is that patient safety would be enhanced significantly. Due to improved nurse communication skills, registered nurses would be able to immensely concentrate upon better patient safety. Service users are less likely to experience adverse events, medical errors, or misunderstandings that can compromise their well-being. Moreover, clear communication between nurses and patients would ensures that treatment plans and medications are correctly understood and abided by (Hapsari & Sjaaf, 2023).
2. As far as quality of care is concerned, it is needless to say that exemplary healthcare quality would be delivered by the registered nurses, once they graduate from the training program. Owing to the fact that once communication flow can be efficaciously maintained, then the feasibility of nurse to deliver high quality of care for patient as well as the family member is substantially high. This would also restore the confidence among patients and their families in nurses regarding the care team's ability to address their needs, answer questions, and provide empathetic support. This, in turn, leads to greater satisfaction with the healthcare experience.
3. In general, across healthcare consumers admitted in UK hospital tends to experience anxiety extensively. However, with the help of effective communication, alleviation of such anxiety as well as fear among service users would be seamlessly accomplished by the registered nurses, since they can explain procedures, diagnoses, and treatment options clearly and compassionately to the service users as well as their family members. The resultant of which would instil a feeling of reassurance and less distressed amidst healthcare consumers during their healthcare journey (Doo & Kim, 2020).

Benefits to Healthcare Professionals:

1. From an apparent vision it would seem that the benefit is only derived for healthcare consumers. However, in reality, as far as healthcare professionals are concerned, this amendment is also beneficial in nature. For the reason that, job satisfaction would improve among registered nurses across healthcare settings in the United Kingdom, if adequate measures are taken into consideration with due diligence as mentioned above. For starters, due to effective communication training, higher job satisfaction among nurses would be reflected. When professionals feel confident in their ability to communicate with patients, they experience a greater sense of accomplishment and fulfilment in their roles.
2. On top of that, the feasibility of experiencing burnout would also be reduced extensively. Burnout is generally an experience that is often linked with frustration, emanating from lack of communication or extensive workloads for registered nurses. However, if adequate communication measures are duly considered, then the feasibility of mitigating these stressors is extensively high. Once the burnout is reduced, job satisfaction would enhance proportionally, which should open up new horizons for enhanced collaboration. According to a recent study conducted it is revealed that in the discipline of healthcare, once the communication channels are streamlined, then it facilitates exemplary interprofessional collaboration. Nurses who can communicate effectively with colleagues from various disciplines are more likely to work together seamlessly, resulting in smoother patient care transitions and improved outcomes (Jafarpanah & Rezaei, 2020).

Benefits to the Discipline:

1. One of the intriguing aspects of this amendment is that not only does it broadens the scope for health care professionals, aside from concentrating upon increasing the patient output, but at the same time, this amendment also improves the discipline itself. This is revealed from the fact that advancement of evidence-based practice also has the capability of enhancing the communication training which would better equip the nurses to cope with challenges of healthcare delivery. By incorporating the latest research and best practices in communication, nursing as a discipline continues to evolve and adapt to meet the needs of a dynamic healthcare environment (Noviyanti, Ahsan & Sudartya, 2021).
2. The implementation and evaluation of enhanced communication training programs can contribute valuable data and insights to the discipline's knowledge base. This is pivotal for new research to concentrate upon in order to innately observe the ramifications of such initiatives on communication satisfaction, as well as patient safety culture, in terms of ameliorating the healthcare outcomes, thereby further enriching the discipline. Improving communication skills elevates nursing standards. As nurses develop into more effective communicators, they become advocates for higher standards of care, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in-patient care, safety, and satisfaction.

Conclusion

In essence, an inference can be drawn that the comprehensive literature review undertaken in this research project has shed light on the critical interplay between nurses' communication satisfaction and patient safety culture within the United Kingdom's healthcare system. This exploration has revealed a profound and interconnected relationship that holds immense significance for both healthcare professionals and service users. The key take-home message from this literature review is that effective communication among nurses is not only essential but also transformative, with far-reaching benefits for patient safety, care quality, job satisfaction, and the advancement of the nursing discipline. Throughout the review, it became evident that barriers to effective nurse communication, such as heavy workloads, hierarchical structures, and inadequate staffing levels, can impede communication satisfaction among nurses. However, the literature also highlighted that targeted interventions, including comprehensive communication skills training, simulation-based learning, and strong leadership, have the potential to break down these barriers and pave the way for improved communication satisfaction. Service users stand to benefit significantly from enhanced nurse communication. Improved patient safety, higher quality of care, and reduced anxiety are among the advantages they can expect to experience. Effective communication ensures that treatment plans are understood, questions are answered, and empathetic support is provided, ultimately leading to a more positive healthcare experience. For healthcare professionals, the proposal to enhance nurse communication training signifies a path toward increased job satisfaction and reduced burnout. It fosters better collaboration among interdisciplinary teams, promoting smoother care transitions and better outcomes. These benefits not only enrich the professional lives of nurses but also contribute to their overall well-being.

Finally, it is fair to conclude that this amendment is aligned with the discipline of nursing's commitment to evidence-based practice, which not only intends to offer an opportunity to contribute valuable data but simultaneously, broadens the knowledge base through insights which would elevate nursing standards. By focusing on enhancing communication, nurses can continue to advocate for the highest standards of patient care, safety, and satisfaction.

References:

Alsabri, M., Boudi, Z., Lauque, D., Dias, R.D., Whelan, J.S., Östlundh, L., Alinier, G., Onyeji, C., Michel, P., Liu, S.W. and Carlos Jr, A., 2022. Impact of teamwork and communication training interventions on safety culture and patient safety in emergency departments: a systematic review. Journal of patient safety, 18(1), pp.e351-e361.

Aouicha, W., Tlili, M.A., Sahli, J., Dhiab, M.B., Chelbi, S., Mtiraoui, A., Latiri, H.S., Ajmi, T., Zedini, C., Rejeb, M.B. and Mallouli, M., 2021. Exploring patient safety culture in emergency departments: A Tunisian perspective. International emergency nursing, 54, p.100941.

Azyabi, A., Karwowski, W. and Davahli, M.R., 2021. Assessing patient safety culture in hospital settings. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(5), p.2466.

Danielsson, M., Nilsen, P., Rutberg, H. and Årestedt, K., 2019. A national study of patient safety culture in hospitals in Sweden. Journal of patient safety, 15(4), p.328.

Doo, E.Y. and Kim, M., 2020. Effects of hospital nurses' internalized dominant values, organizational silence, horizontal violence, and organizational communication on patient safety. Research in nursing & health, 43(5), pp.499-510.

Garcia, C.D.L., Abreu, L.C.D., Ramos, J.L.S., Castro, C.F.D.D., Smiderle, F.R.N., Santos, J.A.D. and Bezerra, I.M.P., 2019. Influence of burnout on patient safety: systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicina, 55(9), p.553.

Hapsari, Y. and Sjaaf, A.C., 2023, September. Effect of hospital accreditation on patient safety culture and satisfaction: a systematic review. In The International Conference on Public Health Proceeding (Vol. 4, No. 02, pp. 547-555).

Hessels, A.J., Paliwal, M., Weaver, S.H., Siddiqui, D. and Wurmser, T.A., 2019. Impact of patient safety culture on missed nursing care and adverse patient events. Journal of nursing care quality, 34(4), pp.287-294.

Jafarpanah, M. and Rezaei, B., 2020. Association between organizational citizenship behavior and patient safety culture from nurses’ perspectives: a descriptive correlational study. BMC nursing, 19, pp.1-8.

Kabir, M.A. and Razia, M.S., 2020. Novice Nurses Perception of Job Stress Working at Hospital at Tertiary Hospital.

Lee, S.E., Scott, L.D., Dahinten, V.S., Vincent, C., Lopez, K.D. and Park, C.G., 2019. Safety culture, patient safety, and quality of care outcomes: a literature review. Western journal of nursing research, 41(2), pp.279-304.

Liukka, M., Hupli, M. and Turunen, H., 2021. Differences between professionals’ views on patient safety culture in long-term and acute care? A cross-sectional study. Leadership in Health Services, 34(4), pp.499-511.

Mihdawi, M., Al-Amer, R., Darwish, R., Randall, S. and Afaneh, T., 2020. The influence of nursing work environment on patient safety. Workplace health & safety, 68(8), pp.384-390.

Mihdawi, M., Al-Amer, R., Darwish, R., Randall, S. and Afaneh, T., 2020. The influence of nursing work environment on patient safety. Workplace health & safety, 68(8), pp.384-390.

Noviyanti, L.W., Ahsan, A. and Sudartya, T.S., 2021. Exploring the relationship between nurses’ communication satisfaction and patient safety culture. Journal of Public Health Research, 10(2).

Ree, E. and Wiig, S., 2019. Employees’ perceptions of patient safety culture in Norwegian nursing homes and home care services. BMC health services research, 19(1), pp.1-7.

Ree, E. and Wiig, S., 2020. Linking transformational leadership, patient safety culture and work engagement in home care services. Nursing Open, 7(1), pp.256-264.

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