Mindful Communication: A Novel Approach to Improving Delegation and Increasing Patient Safety

Abstract

The realities of the healthcare environment pose numerous challenges for professional registered nurses in providing quality and safe care. In many models of care nurses increasingly rely on unlicensed assistive personnel as members of the healthcare team. In these models of care, nurses remain accountable for outcomes even though they need to delegate some direct care to the unlicensed personnel. Effective delegation that results in quality and safe outcomes depends on the right communication. Delegation, safety, and quality of care are inextricably linked. Communication between the registered nurse (RN) and the unlicensed personnel can be threatened by poor quality information that is untimely or unclear. Under these conditions the care delivered may be inappropriate or missed resulting in adverse outcomes. Information quality, mindful communication (mindfulness), and mutual trust within the relational context of the delegation are explored as mechanisms to improve the quality of the information and communication between RNs and unlicensed personnel, thus improving the effectiveness of the delegation. Nursing implications are provided.