Reference no: EM134004618

Question

Healthcare professionals may face a number of challenges concerning their ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with a team through writing. The most common writing challenges faced by healthcare professionals include technical errors and citation-related errors specific to the 7th Edition APA style. Johnson and Rulo (2019) comport with this by explaining that nurses may face daily challenges in conveying a logical flow of ideas in their writing, as well as confusions related to the technical aspects of writing (such as grammar, mechanics, and adhering to a particular style throughout). Writing errors can create challenges when attempting to communicate with other healthcare professionals (such as doctors, colleagues, or health care administrators), but may also create barriers when communicating with patients and funding organizations too (Brandau, n.d.). An adherence to good writing skills can enable more positive patient outcomes overall. To ensure that healthcare professionals are positively maintaining the well-being of their patients, they must learn to adapt their writing skills to provide clarity, accuracy, and accessibility to a wider audience whenever possible. According to Noviyanti et al. (2021), communication within an organization enables a healthcare team to outline and accomplish goals related to patient care, and allows the team to maintain a level of mutual understanding between all of the members. "Effective communication between nurses and doctors positively affects the quality of patient outcomes such as satisfaction, short length of stay, and reduces adverse events" (Noviyanti et al., 2021). For example, a nurse could ensure effective communication to a doctor or another nurse by adding precise information to a patient's chart regarding medication administration (such as the dosage administered or the time administered), observations of patient behavior (possibly due to medication interactions or unaddressed needs), or suggestions regarding future improvements to the care plan. Conversely, patients are more likely to experience negative health outcomes as a direct result of healthcare professionals exhibiting poor writing skills. Nursing professionals tend to interact with patients to a higher frequency than other healthcare professionals, and therefore may serve a more influential role in contributing to patient safety measures (Noviyanti et al., 2021). Communications that are unclear or inaccurate can lead to adverse effects on patient health, such as medication errors (administering a dangerously high dosage, or that which may cause an allergic reaction), inconsistencies when attempting to follow patient goals, and creating a sense of distrust in patients receiving treatment. All in all, healthcare professionals have a duty to uphold the well-being of their patients, and nursing professionals may serve as the first line of defense by ensuring that effective and coordinated care is managed through the application of good writing skills.