Deadly Policies, Part III: Communicating the Essential Messages

By Ruth Elzer, RN, MS

Even the best, most well-reasoned policies will not be followed if they are not communicated effectively to clinicians. Therefore, once the policy is ready, it is important to consider the best way to communicate the information at the bedside.

Whenever possible, avoid sending out a copy of the policy. Communicating changes in this fashion decreases the likelihood that the information will be read, and essential messages for patient safety will likely get lost.

When designing educational opportunities for communicating changes in policy, consider these additional tips.

• It is perfectly permissible to communicate expectations that rise above policy. Telling staff to assess pain every 4 hours makes compliance with a policy that requires assessment every 8 hours more manageable. Quality monitoring of both the minimum and the goal interval can let you know when a higher goal is going to work in the clinical care setting.
• For revised policies, only communicate the changes in the policy. Grammatical changes and references to names of equipment make little difference to caregivers. Stick to changes in the essential messaging categories outlined above.
• Use creative ways to communicate changes. “Potty pages,” posters, and quiz games are effective methods of communicating information without requiring scheduled classroom time.
• Utilize quality data to know which aspects of the policy or procedure need to be added to the education. Education on the choices for pain scales may not be needed if quality data show compliance in this area. Covering only the essential components, such as frequency and content of pain assessment, focuses your message and decreases the time it takes to disseminate it.
• Utilize unit champions for education. Clinicians often “hear” the message better from a peer in the trenches than an educator who has never used the policy in practice. When the education is done, the unit champion can become both the advocate and the “secret shopper” for compliance monitoring.

While writing comprehensive and realistic policies is important to closing the gap between policy and practice, communication is absolutely essential. When caregivers understand policies they are more likely to follow them. Finding ways to efficiently highlight the essential messages ensures that clinicians receive the information they need in a way that supports understanding and compliance.