End-of-Life Care: Improving Communication and Reducing Stress.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Quality Improvement
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Nursing staff in a cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) reported high stress and discomfort during end-of-life care communication.
• Effective communication is critical in high-acuity settings like the CICU.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate an evidence-based intervention to improve communication and reduce stress among CICU nurses.
• To enhance nurses' skills in active listening and stress reduction techniques for end-of-life care.

Main Methods:

• A 4-week quality improvement initiative delivered brief, evidence-based training sessions (4-5 minutes) during morning huddles.
• Training focused on stress reduction and active listening skills for end-of-life care communication.
• Program evaluation used pretest, posttest, and follow-up surveys with nurses.

Main Results:

• Survey results indicated improved communication effectiveness among nursing staff.
• Nurses reported increased feelings of support from colleagues and supervisors.
• The intervention demonstrated positive outcomes within the CICU setting.

Conclusions:

• Brief, targeted training sessions can effectively improve communication and reduce stress in CICU nurses.
• The initiative fostered a more supportive environment for nurses providing end-of-life care.
• Further research is needed to assess generalizability in diverse critical care settings.