Core Communication Competencies in Patient-Centered Care
Abstract: Effective communication between the patient and nurse is an essential requirement for nursing practice and for patient-centered care. Nursing faculty that teach in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs play a signiflcant role in preparing the nursing workforce to communicate effectively and provide patient-centered care. Patient-centered care, interprofessional collaboration, and informatics are necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for nurses across educational levels in order to meet the needs of patients, and improve the quality and safety of the health care system environment. The focus of this article is to provide information on core nursing competencies for effective communication and to discuss communication tools used in patient-centered care, interprofessional collaboration, and informatics.
Key Words: , Nurse, Patient-Centered Care, Interprofessional Collaboration, Informatics
In the last decade the Institute of Medicine (IOM) hasreleased reports that address quality and safety in healthcare systems, health professions and nursing (IOM, 1999, 2001,2003a, 2003b, 2010). A core component of quality care is patient-centered care. Patient centered care is care based on a partnership between the patient, their families, and the health care provider that is focused on the patient’s values, preferences, and needs. Effective communication between the patient and health professionals is an essential requirement for patient- centered care (IOM, 2001). Furthermore, health professions education should include core competencies in patient-centered care in order to meet the needs of patients and the changing health care system (IOM, 2003a). Nursing faculty play a significant role in preparing the nursing workforce to provide patient-centered care and to communicate effectively. Patient- centered care, interprofessional collaboration, and informatics are necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) for pre- licensure nurses and nurses returning for graduate education in order to communicate effectively and to improve the quality and safety of the health care system environment (Cronenwett, et al., 2007; Cronenvvett,et al.,2009; Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nurse of the Future Competency Committee, 2010)). This article will synthesize core nursing competencies
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for effective communication and patient-centered care and discuss communication tools used in patient-centered care, interprofessional collaboration, and informatics. Existing communication competencies from nursing and health professional resources are interrelated and important for nursing faculty in curriculum development, and it is equally important for nursing students to comprehend the concept of communication when providing patient-centered care.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION The American Nurses Association (ANA, 2010)
delineates standards of professional nursing practice. Professional competence in nursing practice includes not only psychomotor and clinical diagnostic skills, but also proficiency in interpersonal and communication skills. The registered nurse is expected to communicate in various formats and in all areas of practice. is one of the standards of professional nursing practice (see Table 1). is also addressed in four other standards of professional nursing practice: Assessment; Implementation; Collaboration; and Environmental Health (ANA, 2010).
Skill in communication has been described as communication that is effective, appropriate and therapeutic (Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nurse of the Future Competency Committee, 2010). Effective communication is the creation of meaning in communication in which patients and health care providers exchange information so that patients are able to actively participate in their care. The communication involves a two-way process of expressive and receptive communication so that the message and resf)onsibilities of both the patient and health care provider is understood (The Joint Commission, 2010). Therapeutic communication is mutually respective communication and has a health related purpose. Examples of nursing core competencies for effective, appropriate, and therapeutic communication knowledge and skills are listed in Table 2 (Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nurse of the Future Competency Committee, 2010). Nursing students must demonstrate therapeutic communication knowledge and skills prior to graduation. One of the core competencies is that the nurse must use clear, concise, and effective written, electronic, and verbal communication (Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nurse of the Future Competency Committee, 2010).
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