[Sharon]

Share an example in your experience where a lack of communication and understanding of roles negatively affected the relationships among team members or alternately where good communication and understanding of roles positively affected relationships among team members.

[Samantha]

An example that comes to mind for good communication, is a change process with the charge RN handover meetings. Feedback was received that the charge RNs were spending a great deal of time at the start of their shifts organizing staffing movements throughout the facility. A trial of a single meeting place at the change of shifts for the charge RNs to meet (shift to shift) was trialed. This 10 minute meeting allows the off-going charge RNs to chat/update/handover to the on-coming charge RNs with the acuity/risk of the units. At this handover meeting, the on-coming charge RNs decide where to move staff accordingly. Charge RNs have found that having this 10 minute meeting allows them to make the decisions needed around staff movement, and they then can focus less on this when they arrive on the units.

[Megan]

An example of a good form of communication is when dealing with difficult co-workers, needing to ensure that we ask questions and have the time and patients with them. When working on a new unit with patients I was unsure of, I would show up early and review the charting and care plans, also ask a lot of questions. I personally did a handover one evening and left out some important information for a patient, the nurse relieving me caught it after handover and had a conversation with me the next morning. I believe it is more of an understanding and a teaching then it is needed for discipline.

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