NUR1001 Communication for Health Professionals: Assessment Task

Effective communication serves as the foundation of safe nursing practice. This course material explores how nursing students develop therapeutic rapport, maintain professional boundaries, and utilize clinical handover tools like ISBAR to ensure patient safety and quality care within the Australian healthcare system.

Assessment 2: Written Report – Professional Communication and Patient Safety

1. Task Summary

You are required to write a 1,500-word formal report analyzing a clinical case study. The report must evaluate the communication strategies used during a patient interaction and a multidisciplinary clinical handover. You must identify barriers to effective communication and propose evidence-based improvements to enhance patient outcomes.

2. Learning Outcomes

This assessment evaluates your ability to:

• Apply therapeutic communication techniques in a clinical context.

• Identify cultural, environmental, and physical barriers to effective messaging.

• Utilize standardized communication tools (ISBAR) for clinical handovers.

• Demonstrate professional documentation standards consistent with NMBA guidelines.

3. Instructions and Structure

Your report should follow this specific structure:

1. Introduction (150 words): Define therapeutic communication and its significance in nursing. State the purpose of the report.

2. Case Study Analysis (500 words): * Identify three communication techniques used in the provided scenario (e.g., active listening, open-ended questioning, empathy).

   • Discuss how these techniques influenced the nurse-patient relationship.

3. Barriers to Communication (400 words):

   • Analyze two specific barriers present in the case study (e.g., noise, health literacy, or power imbalances).

   • Explain the potential impact of these barriers on patient safety.

4. Clinical Handover Improvement (350 words):

   • Critique the handover provided in the scenario.

   • Rewrite the handover using the ISBAR (Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) framework.

5. Conclusion (100 words): Summarize the main findings and the importance of continuous reflection on communication skills.

4. Submission Requirements

• Word Count: 1,500 words (+/- 10%).

• Formatting: 12pt Arial or Calibri font, 1.5 line spacing.

• Referencing: Minimum of 5 peer-reviewed sources published within the last 5 years. Use Harvard TAFE Queensland style.

Peer-Reviewed References

1. Kwame, A. and Petrucka, P.M. (2021). A concept analysis of patient-centered communication in the context of nursing. BMC Nursing, 20(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00740-3

2. Mullan, J., et al. (2022). Health literacy and its importance in nursing practice: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 31(1-2). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15904

3. Slade, D., et al. (2019). Communicating in Hospital Emergency Departments: An Ethnographic Study. Berlin: Springer Nature. Available at: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-14169-1

4. Tuohy, D. and Murphy, J. (2023). Effective communication with older people: Nursing student perspectives. British Journal of Nursing, 32(10). Available at: https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2023.32.10.466

5. Vera, S. (2022). The impact of ISBAR on patient safety during clinical handovers. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 126. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104149

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Submit a 300-word discussion post for NUR1001 focusing on interprofessional collaboration. Analyze a conflict scenario between healthcare team members, apply NMBA professional standards, and respond to peers with evidence-based strategies for improving workplace communication.

NUR1001 Communication for Health Professionals: Module 4 Discussion Board

Effective healthcare delivery depends on the ability of a nurse to work within a team. This module focuses on the transition from individual therapeutic communication to collaborative practice. You will examine how interpersonal dynamics and professional respect influence the quality of care provided to patients in diverse clinical settings.

Discussion Topic: Interprofessional Collaboration and Conflict Resolution

Task Overview

Healthcare professionals must interact with various disciplines to achieve the best patient outcomes. For this week’s discussion, you need to reflect on a specific scenario where a breakdown in team communication occurred. You will analyze the causes of this breakdown and suggest practical ways to resolve the issue using professional standards.

Instructions

Post your initial response by Wednesday evening and provide two peer replies by Sunday. Your contributions should follow these guidelines:

• Initial Post (300 words): Describe a situation where a nurse and another health professional (such as a doctor, physiotherapist, or pharmacist) had a disagreement regarding a patient’s care plan. Identify the specific communication style used by each party. Explain how a lack of assertive communication or a failure to listen impacted the patient’s safety.

• Evidence Integration: Use at least two references from the weekly readings to support your analysis. You must show how the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) standards guide professional behavior in team environments.

• Peer Responses (150 words each): Read the posts of your classmates. Offer a constructive perspective on their chosen scenario. Suggest one additional conflict resolution strategy that they did not mention in their original post.

Grading Rubric

Criteria	High Distinction	Pass
Analysis of Conflict	Provides a deep critique of team dynamics and identifies root causes of communication failure.	Describes a conflict and identifies basic communication issues.
Application of Theory	Integrates course concepts and NMBA standards seamlessly into the discussion.	Mentions course concepts with some relevance to the scenario.
Peer Engagement	Responses are highly thoughtful, encouraging further dialogue and offering new insights.	Responses are polite but may only agree with the original poster.
Writing and Referencing	Academic tone is consistent. References follow Harvard TAFE Queensland style with no errors.	Writing is clear. References are present but may have minor formatting issues.

 References

1. Foronda, C., et al. (2020). Interprofessional communication in healthcare: An integrative review. Nurse Educator, 45(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000661

2. O’Daniel, M. and Rosenstein, A.H. (2019). Professional communication and team collaboration. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2637/

3. Peltonen, J., et al. (2023). Nursing students’ experiences of interprofessional collaboration: A qualitative study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15545

4. Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (2022). Intra-professional Collaborative Practice among Nurses. Available at: https://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/intra-professional-collaborative-practice-among-nurses