Nurses are critical to creating a positive patient experience, and strong nurse communication can improve patient satisfaction scores.
In an increasingly consumer-driven healthcare landscape, improving patient satisfaction and creating a positive hospital experience are critical. Nurses play an important role in achieving those outcomes.
As the main touchpoint for patients, nurses need to possess both the clinical expertise and the interpersonal skills necessary for a positive patient experience. Contrary to popular belief, the luxury amenities are not what the patients are looking for – patients want to feel safe, be cared for as an individual, and receive quality care.
Nurses need to refine their patient-provider communication strategies, engage in timely support, and portray good teamwork to patients to yield better patient satisfaction in the hospital environment.
Integrate effective patient-provider communication tactics
Nurses are at the frontlines of nearly all patient interactions, making it essential that they have good patient-provider communication skills. When nurses can communicate well with their patients, patients will likely feel more at ease and more satisfied with their care encounters.
Leveraging technology is a tactic that providers are implementing to keep patients fully connected with nurse support. Patients are afraid of the circumstance that they are in. They don’t know how their body will react to the drug, they don’t know if it’s going to affect their everyday lives. This type of uncertainty keeps patients from retaining important clinical information and following care instructions properly. Thus, it is critical that nurses check in on their patients even when they are not in the clinic or hospital.
Real-time connectivity for immediate support
Proven strategies for facilitating positive communications for patients includes implementing a technology capable of real-time connectivity to allow the providers to manage patient events immediately. Timely intervention is the key for patients feeling a personalized communication at critical moments in their patient journey. Even having a 60-second connection on the phone or a text notification can make a huge difference in the patient experience.
Boost Nurse Teamwork, Care Coordination
The perception of teamwork and strong care coordination are key indicators of a positive patient experience, numerous studies have shown. In a 2017 analysis, researchers observed that perceptions of teamwork among care team members is integral to receiving a high patient satisfaction score from patients.
By providing a framework for staff and leadership to share accountability, problem solving and authority, all care providers will interact with the patient in a universal way that doesn’t make them feel like they are talking to a stranger every time.
There are so many people involved in care today. Literally dozens of people are involved when you are admitted for even routine things. It can be stressful and confusing for patients, especially when hearing different messages from different care team members.
By implementing a technology that has an integrated platform that enables you to add important information, add notes about moments with the patient allow for the providers to be able to give the patient a more personal and centralized message regardless of who delivers the message.
Ultimately, nurse staff teamwork will help make patients feel safer, an essential part of providing a positive patient experience. Protecting patients, making them feel cared for, and delivering high-quality and safe care will help drive positive hospital experiences and ideally satisfaction scores.
