Memories aren’t the perfect carbon copies of reality many people believe them to be. One person’s interpretation of an event could be quite different from another participant. Researchers hoped to limit communication breakdowns between nurses and physicians by recording video of interactions, so the participants could review and critique them.
The study—led by Milisa Manojlovich, PhD, RN, with the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing in Ann Arbor, Michigan—was published July 14 in BMJ Quality and Safety.
The team noticed a major factor in nurse–physician interactions is the inherent difference in power. Nurses may not feel comfortable speaking frankly to doctors, while physicians may not properly address concerns raised by nurses.
In the small pilot study, the feedback on reviewing interactions was generally positive, with physicians recognizing areas for improvement.
"One physician said, 'I didn't give the nurse a chance to answer,' and this physician had a habit of doing that and recognized it," Manojlovich said in a university release. "She was one of the champions of the study."
The research team hopes to conduct a larger study to see how video can be used as a training tool for improving communication.
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.