Commitment to clearer patient communication: An Inpatient Ward initiative
Coming to a hospital can be an overwhelming experience. Nurse Unit Manager of the Inpatient Ward, Lesley Finch, knows this all too well.
“When patients come to us, they could be here for one night, one week or longer depending on their recovery,” Lesley says.
“It can also be hard to retain the information patients receive upon arrival, so we wanted to come up with a way that they could have this information readily available.”
After receiving feedback about communication gaps with patients and their families, Lesley introduced an initiative she had seen used successfully in other healthcare organisations — patient communication boards. These boards are placed beside each inpatient bed to provide staff with key information and give patients and visitors clear answers to common questions.
The boards are designed to make communication easier by providing a simple, accessible tool that supports two-way conversations and encourages patients to take an active role in their care. Serving as a central point for daily updates, they help support patients, families, and staff to stay connected and informed throughout the care journey.
“Every board is different depending on each health service, so after discussing this with the team, we brought the idea to our Patient Experience Committee, which includes representatives from different departments and consumer advisors, who loved it,” recalled Lesley.
With the help of ward patients, volunteers, consumers and staff, a communication board was designed and is currently being trialled in the Inpatient Ward. To date, the feedback on the trial boards gathered from volunteer surveys of patients has been positive, with over 91% of those surveyed reporting that the board is easy to understand.
The board displays common patient information, as well as more detailed information, including a patient’s care plan and discharge information. The board also encourages patients to tell a nurse if they feel unwell or notice anything unusual.
The trial finished on 31 July. Our volunteers are now collecting further feedback before final design changes are made. We look forward to sharing the final design with you.
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