Kaitlynn Troyer

BMED 137 Final Paper

Successful Communication Tactics for Different Departments within a Hospital
Communication during Labor and Delivery
My group decided to do our project on successful communication tactics for
different departments within a hospital. We feel that it is very important to have
good communication between patient and provider during all visitations and on the
phone as well. We have split up our topic into four divisions; Inpatient,
Rehabilitation, Labor and Delivery, and Mentally Ill. I chose to cover the Labor and
Delivery department and talk about the roles a provider most play, how they should
communicate, and how they need to respond while in labor and delivery.
Before I begin I want to share something that Kevin MD said in one of his articles,
and that will stick with me has I continue to pursue the Medical career path. A good
physician hears a chief complaint. A great physician listens, absorbs, and interprets
the story of illness. He goes on to say, While some physicians overlooked a basic
introduction, others mastered the art of medicine as they nourished the delicate
doctor-patient relationship. While some physicians sifted through a medical chart for
past medical history and chief complaint, some others read symptoms through the
patients body language or subtle gestures (Sonal Kumar.) This, I believe, is so
important to remember when working with patients. Its not just about seeing the
patient, going through the motions, running tests, and then diagnosing. Yes, to
some doctors that is their routine and theyre happy with it, though other doctors,
ones I find to be successful actually read into their patients and want to gain a
better understanding of how they work. Why is this so important when it comes to

communication? Communication is the start of every appointment when a patient

first meets their provider. Why is it even more important in the labor and delivery
departments? Well, we all know that our mothers want good communication! Labor
is a serious and sometimes scary situation, granted Ive never been in labor I know
enough to understand that. When in labor a mother wants clear, respectful, direct,
and explicit communication between her and those doing the delivery. A few of the
most highly and reliable perinatal units are those that put patient safety as their
central value, give their patient lots of respect, show attentiveness, have great
communication, and competence (Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2012). When mothers are in
a delivery room they are in the zone for delivery, focused, and all they want is for
the baby to come out. Yet, in the meantime they want and need clear
communication and to be walked through the whole process of their delivery. The
key for providers is to speak up clearly, with confidence, stating what they see,
what they think is happening, and why they believe certain actions should or should
not be taken in a certain situation (Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2012). From research I
found that developing a therapeutic relationship with the patient such as: Making
the patient eel welcome, using touch for comfort, Conveying confidence,
determining family expectations about birth, and respecting cultural values. Let us
look at an example; say a mother is in labor, her blood pressure increases, she
starts to feel more pain, her heart rate is rising, machines are beeping, and
practitioners are hustling to her room. As the practitioners are solving the problem it
is important to walk through your steps with the mother and anyone else in the
room with her, letting them know your blood pressure is rising and we need to get
it down, were checking your vitals again, or theres something not right we
need to move you to a different room. This type of communication will provide the

mother with a little ease and reassure her that you are working hard at making sure
things return to a steady and proper state. The birth of a child is one of the most
important times in a familys history, especially for the mother who is giving birth to
the child. The comfort and care in which she is in relays on the physician giving the
delivery, any nurses that are involved, and a significant other who sits beside her if
she chooses. Not only is it important to communicate well with the mother giving
birth but it is also important to communicate just as well with whoever is sitting in
on the delivery. Everyone should be on the same page and comfortable with what is
being done in the patient room, the more people that are confident, the more
confident the mother will be as well.

Resources
Kumar, Sonal. "A Dire Need for Narrators in Medicine." KevinMD.com. N.p., 11 May
2014. Web. 20 May 2015.
LYNDON, Audrey, Marya G. ZLATNIK, and Robert M. WACHTER. "Effective PhysicianNurse Communication: A Patient Safety Essential for Labor & Delivery." American
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 Apr.
2011. Web. 20 May 2015.
http://www.coursewareobjects.com/objects/evolve/E2/book_pages/murray/pdfs/Murr
ay_266-305_Ch13.qxd.pdf