Communication between teams and the care transfer of critical patients

Abstract

Objective: understanding the process of communication between professionals during intra-hospital care transfers of critical patients. Methods: qualitative study, whose data collection was carried out through an interview with nursing technicians, nurses, and physicians who worked in the Medical Emergencies Unit and the Adult Intensive Care Unit, a total of 18 professionals. Data was evaluated according to the Discourse of the Collective Subject. Results: the knowledge of professionals with regards to their role was found to have gaps, and verbal communication was superficial as a result of the misuse of the instrument of care transfers in place, which made it difficult to follow the same path of care. Conclusion: the transfer of care is carried out between settings. However, the communication process is frail and presents shortcomings resulting from the lack of a proper protocols and the little knowledge about their importance by the professionals.

Keywords

• critical care
• patient safety; communication; quality of health care