Nurses' role in communication and patient safety.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION is critical during the countless interactions that occur among healthcare workers on a daily basis. Staff must know how to communicate effectively and work collaboratively in teams so that appropriate information is shared in a timely manner. When effective communication is absent, patient care is compromised. Communication breakdowns have long been cited as a root cause in almost every sentinel event reported to The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Database and as the leading root cause in a majority of cases studied since 1996. Hierarchy differences, conflicting roles, ambiguity in responsibilities, and power struggles can all lead to communication failures that compromise patient safety and quality of care.