International Nurses Day: The Importance of Critical Communications in Nursing

Today (12 May 2023), we celebrate International Nurses Day to honour the contributions of nurses to our healthcare system. It's a day to recognise the dedication, hard work, and sacrifices nurses make to ensure the well-being of patients worldwide. The theme for this year's celebration is "Nurses: A Voice to Lead - A Vision for Future Healthcare". This theme highlights the critical role that nurses play in shaping the future of healthcare systems and creating a more patient-centred approach.

One of the most significant challenges that nurses face daily is ensuring efficient communication. Communication breakdowns can lead to errors, reduced patient safety, and negative outcomes. This is where the concept of critical communications in nursing plays a vital role. It involves ensuring that the right information is communicated to the right person at the appropriate time, thus reducing confusion and improving coordination in providing optimal patient care.

 

Critical communications are essential to every aspect of nursing, from admitting patients to administering medication, from emergency response to discharge. Inadequate communication can cause critical delays in care, resulting in increased stress levels and reduced morale for nurses. This is where a good critical communications system can make a significant difference to a nurse's daily life, leading to better patient outcomes and improved overall satisfaction.

Examples of successful implementations of such systems are available in many healthcare facilities and hospitals. Here at Multitone, our purpose in life is to provide platforms that enable nurses, and others in crucial industries and professions, to communicate effectively with their colleagues, receive critical information in real-time, and prioritise their tasks based on the level of urgency. By facilitating such communication, the stress levels for nurses are reduced, allowing them to focus more on patient care.

A significant example of leading-edge critical communications for nurses is at NHS Lanarkshire, where the University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride has been working with Multitone for over 20 years, and has recently upgraded its critical messaging system with 99.9% availability. This means that it’s almost totally certain that every communication sent or received by nurses is going to be quick and accurate; they can rely on their systems with complete confidence.

In conclusion, International Nurses Day is a reminder of the importance of critical communication in the nursing profession. By implementing efficient communication systems, nurses can reduce their stress levels, focus more on patient care, and ultimately deliver better patient outcomes. At a time when nurses have taken centre stage in the fight against the pandemic, it's essential that we advocate for improved critical communication systems in healthcare facilities to continue supporting our nurses, who are the backbone of our healthcare system. Let's work together to make this a reality.

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