Introduction
At its overall understanding, transitional nursing is a specific type of care delivered to patients once they leave one set of treatment and enter another. For instance, this process can refer to a transition from hospital care to a home health program or an admission to a general ward after spending time in an emergency room. Transitional care is a critical procedure that is created to prevent the emergence of additional health problems and rehospitalization of elderly and chronically ill individuals (Toles et al., 2016). By providing people with a successfully developed discharge plan, engaging in positive interpersonal communication, and carefully controlling patients’ well-being after a change, nurses ensure a positive outcome of the treatment. However, different problems may arise during transitional nursing, and one of them is ineffective communication while developing a discharge process. Therefore, the following paper will investigate the mentioned issue by relating it to transitional care, identifying its research purpose, and indicating specific Master’s Essentials.
The Problem and Its Significance
Nowadays, one of the main issues in transitional nursing is the inability of healthcare specialists to establish trustful relationships with the patients and communicate properly while creating a plan for release. Several recent studies revealed that 22% of adults are readmitted to the hospital “within 30 days of discharge” (Toles et al., 2016, p. 11). It should be stated that this negative outcome is not caused by poor community support, primary care, or a low income (Toles et al., 2016). On the other hand, the main reason for the unfavorable result is the underdeveloped strategy of constructing a discharge procedure for the patients (Toles et al., 2016). While healthcare professionals are not able to communicate with an individual respectfully and clearly state the requirements of the process, they cannot consider the patient’s main preferences, values, and desires. Consequently, misunderstandings arise, and people become unable to provide themselves with the needed care after being discharged.
The problem of ineffective communication is significant since it highlights the importance of establishing relationships with people and providing constant support by asking questions and offering assistance. Modern healthcare systems develop new treatments, advance the skills of doctors, and provide nurses with professional training; nevertheless, specialists forget to indicate that communication with patients is the key to their recovery (Naylor et al., 2017). On the example of issues in traditional nursing, it becomes clear that recognition of the patient as an individual is the starting point in modern healthcare delivery (Naylor et al., 2017). Once nurses understand the features of an individual’s personality and discuss the worries and preferences for the treatment, they can develop an adequate discharge plan that will ensure a beneficial influence on a person’s health (Naylor et al., 2017). Thus, the issue of communication in transitional care is crucial for understanding how relationships contribute to the formation of a discharge process.
The Purpose of the Research
The primary purpose of the research on the topic of transitional nursing will be to contribute to the decrease in the number of rehospitalizations after hospital release. As has already been mentioned, ineffective communication with patients is considered to be one of the most prominent reasons for poor transition outcomes. By exploring this topic in more depth, the project will give healthcare professionals an understanding of why communication is vital and what strategies should be implemented to establish positive relationships with individuals. Some of the possible activities that can be discussed are the promotion of engagement in self-care and the development of patients’ knowledge through answering questions and providing ideas (Albert, 2016). Hence, the research paper will help specialists to receive insight on how to improve the quality of treatment and positively influence the discharge process.
Research Questions
- What is the role of communication in transitional nursing?
- How can nurses develop healthy interpersonal relationships with the patients?
- How does communication influence the development of an effective discharge plan?
Master’s Essentials
It is crucial to align the problematic topic with the Master’s Essentials to ensure that the issue is understood correctly and the solutions are relevant and influential. One of the essentials that can be identified with the problem of ineffective communication is Organizational and Systems Leadership. This skill is vital for the promotion of quality patient care, the initiation of trustful relationships with colleagues and patients, and the coordination of care for individuals, families, and communities (“The essentials of master’s education,” 2011). Thus, this essential is highly connected to the problem of communication.
Another concept from Master’s Essentials that can be applied to the mentioned issue is Quality Improvement and Safety. When creating a discharge plan, nurses need to take into account all the possible outcomes of the treatment and communicate them to the patients. The extensive knowledge in human factors and safety principles will help specialists to create a secure environment and develop the best strategies for release (“The essentials of master’s education,” 2011). Hence, connecting the problem to Master’s Essentials is important for the development of solutions.
Conclusion
Overall, transitional care is a complicated process that can involve several issues. One of the problems that may appear in nursing is ineffective communication with individuals while developing a discharge plan. A clear understanding of this topic is significant since it allows professionals to gain knowledge concerning the importance of relationships between nurses and patients. Therefore, the presented paper discussed the issue by relating it to transitional nursing, mentioning the aim of the future research project, and identifying Master’s Essentials involved.
References
Albert, N. M. (2016). A systematic review of transitional-care strategies to reduce rehospitalization in patients with heart failure. Heart & Lung, 45(2), 100-113. Web.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2011). The essentials of master’s education in nursing. Web.
Naylor, M. D., Shaid, E. C., Carpenter, D., Gass, B., Levine, C., Li, J., Malley, A., McCauley, K., Nguyen H. Q., Watson, H., Brock, J., Mittman, B., Jack, B., Mitchell, S., Callicoatte, B., Schall, J., Williams, M. V. (2017). Components of comprehensive and effective transitional care. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 65(6), 1119-1125. Web.
Toles, M., Colón-Emeric, C., Naylor, M. D., Barroso, J., & Anderson, R. A. (2016). Transitional care in skilled nursing facilities: A multiple case study. BMC Health Services Research, 16(1), 1-14. Web.