Improving nurse-patient communication to impact patient satisfaction

Abstract

<p>Poor communication among nurses and patients has been confirmed by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys. Often, patients feel left out of decisions and information related to their health and hospitalization. Many benefits are seen in healthcare organizations with high patient satisfaction and HCAHPS scores. The results of high patient satisfaction scores are increased employee retention, increased patient retention, increased quality of care, and higher reimbursement payments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Due to the importance of patient-centered care, the focus on patient satisfaction has increased. A doctor of nurse practice (DNP) project related to patient satisfaction and the re-evaluation of standardized bedside reports utilizing the "acknowledge, introduce, duration, explanation, thank you&rdquo; (AIDET) tool can lead to improved patient satisfaction and outcomes. The concepts identified for this project are communication, collaboration, bedside reports, and safety which are defined. Hildegard Peplau&rsquo;s theory of interpersonal relationships is a framework that will transform care at the bedside and is proposed to guide this project.</p>