Effective communication strategies for managing disruptive behaviors and promoting patient safety

To describe and analyze strategies for professionals to communicate effectively when managing disruptive behaviors at the hospital and to promote patient safety.

This is a descriptive and qualitative study conducted with 29 health professionals at a public hospital in Ceará, Brazil. Data were collected in 2014 by means of an in-depth interview, analyzed using the content analysis technique with MAXQDA® software, and discussed according to patient safety references.

The interview transcripts resulted in 27 contextual units of analysis that address effective communication strategies for managing disruptive behaviors, such as team meetings with open dialogue; performance evaluation and feedback; and exercising leadership with emphasis on individual support, training, recognition, and mutual respect.

Individual and group strategies that focus on communication skills and establishing mutual respect at work act as barriers for disruptive behavior and, if properly adopted, have a positive impact on patient safety.