Patient Safety through Enhanced Team Communication
Communication training among healthcare teams has been focused primarily on strategies to improve information transfer, with less attention paid to the interpersonal dynamics and emotional aspects of communication. The operating room (OR) is one of the most emotional environments in the hospital and requires excellent communication among the team.
Literature shows that the emotional aspects of communication within the surgical team are triggered in the OR environment, causing an emotional response that influences communication. Therefore, what are the emotional responses to communication among surgical team members, and how do these emotional aspects of communication influence the surgical team?
Three themes were identified: the emotional experiences of the operating room and its contributors, the impact of emotional experiences on team communication, and how to manage emotional experiences in the operating room. The operating room is an emotional environment. A hierarchical culture can prevent employees from speaking up, and leaders’ inability to meet team expectations through appropriate and timely communication can cause frustration and stress. Consequences of emotions include poor team dynamics, ineffective communication, and potential negative consequences for patient care.
Only a few studies have described strategies for managing emotions in the operating room — an environment in which emotions are high and can impact interpersonal communication, team functioning and patient care. Several studies identified as relevant to our research questions demonstrate the need for a deeper understanding of emotional aspects of communication within surgical teams and the effectiveness of interventions to improve them.
Source Article: Emotions and team communication in the operating room: a scoping review
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