title: Effective physician-nurse communication: a patient safety essential for labor and delivery.
abstract: Effective communication is a hallmark of safe patient care. Challenges to effective interprofessional communication in maternity care include differing professional perspectives on clinical management, steep hierarchies, and lack of administrative support for change. We review principles of high reliability as they apply to communication in clinical care and discuss principles of effective communication and conflict management in maternity care. Effective clinical communication is respectful, clear, direct, and explicit. We use a clinical scenario to illustrate an historic style of nurse-physician communication and demonstrate how communication can be improved to promote trust and patient safety. Consistent execution of successful communication requires excellent listening skills, superb administrative support, and collective commitment to move past traditional hierarchy and professional stereotyping.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Health Care Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lyndon
authors.forename: Marya G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Zlatnik
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Wachter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods; D061214:Patient Safety; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin