| The aim of this qualitative study was to describe registered nurse, physician communication in labor & delivery and its effect on preventable adverse events as perceived by the Registered Nurse. Semi-structured interviews using open ended questions were conducted to illuminate the meaning of the Registered Nurses lived experience. Data verification was achieved through participant confirmation of content and interpretation of transcribed interviews. Data analysis proceeded according to Van Manen's qualitative phenomenological method using a line by line approach of isolating thematic statements. Two essential themes and nine sub-themes emerged from the Registered Nurses stories of their experiences: relationships and its sub-themes: personal style, listening, trust and respect, and collaborative management and its sub-themes: common goals, speaking the same language, shared plan of care, debriefing, and chain of command. The themes and sub-themes were linked by common threads found throughout the narratives including: the complex roles of R.N.s and physicians in a complex and unpredictable healthcare environment, the development of R.N. communication skills as well as skill acquisition of psychomotor nursing tasks, a culture that did not foster a learning environment, and a lack of urgency on the part of some physicians in response to R.N. concerns.Registered Nurse and physician communication could be enhanced through initiatives that develop RN, physician relationships, and create learning environments that foster collaborative management toward the common goal to provide safe, quality care in Labor and Delivery.Despite the fact that communication between the R.N. and the physician affects patient care outcomes this qualitative study was one of the few to examine the R.N.s experience of communication between R.N.s and physicians as it relates to preventable adverse events in L&D. This phenomenological study elucidated meaning about the Registered Nurses lived experience.Results of qualitative studies should not be generalized to broader populations, however it is this researcher's opinion that the knowledge illuminated in this study may be of benefit to the nursing profession. |
