Improv to Improve Interprofessional Communication, Team Building, Patient Safety, and Patient Satisfaction

<p>The purpose of this process improvement project was to implement a test of change within a healthcare team utilizing <em>applied improvisational exercises </em>(AIEs), and to lay the groundwork for more effective inter- and intra-professional communication. </p> <p><strong>Literature review:</strong> AIEs have been shown to facilitate individual participant communication strengths through a process of un-learning certain common behavioral habits, and learning new habits that assist in creating and expanding closed-loop communication. Such un-learning and learning enriches the participant’s awareness of the environment and encourages participant <em>adaptability</em> through positive group interactions. </p> <p><strong>Method: </strong>An<strong> </strong>all-day AIE seminar/workshop was conducted with members of two healthcare teams that work closely together. The course included exercises to enhance situational awareness of non-verbal communication, listening skills, ability to establish trust in a new environment, spontaneity, ability to accept new information, memory, willingness to contribute ideas, self-confidence in group interactions, and creative problem solving. </p> <p><strong>Results: </strong>Attendee’s post-seminar surveys showed solid enthusiasm for the AIE-based learning process. </p> <p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Teams that train with AIEs are able to facilitate bridging the inter- and intra-professional healthcare communication gap and improve patient safety and satisfaction.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Level thesis:degree_level

Project

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nursing

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Campbell, Candace A

Contributors dc:contributor

• Amy Nichols, EdD, RN
• Elena Capella, PhD, RN, CNL
• Dianne Moore, PhD, RN, CNM

• applied improvisational exercises
• medical improv
• complex adaptive systems
• interprofessional communication
• communication skills
• teambuilding
• Cognition and Perception
• Counselor Education
• Educational Sociology
• Health Communication
• Health Policy
• Health Psychology
• Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• International and Intercultural Communication
• Interpersonal and Small Group Communication
• Leadership Studies
• Medicine and Health
• Medicine and Health Sciences
• Organizational Communication
• Organization Development
• Other Communication
• Other Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Peace and Conflict Studies
• Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
• Social Influence and Political Communication
• Sociology of Culture

Repository record dc:identifier

https://repository.usfca.edu/dnp/27

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.usfca.edu:dnp-1036