Monday, March 22, 2010

The Purpose and the Problem statement

Problem statement
Nursing involve lots of interaction with patients and also other health care professions. Therefore it is vital for nurses to be able to communicate effectively. Miscommunication often arises in the hospital setting, thus reflecting a need to further look into the communication skills of nurses. Although miscommunication can never be totally avoided, improving the communication skills of nurses we hope to minimize such instances thus improving the overall standards of Singapore's health care industry.

Purpose Statement
The purpose of this proposal is to highlight key communication skills that are vital for a nurse to execute his/her daily duties. At the same time we aim to identify the communication skills that current nurses are lacking. By doing so we aim for further research to be conducted and eventually a change in the curriculum to equip future nursing graduate with the relevant communication skills. As such they will be able to excel in their workplace bringing professional health care to the patients.

Proposal Benefits Draft 1

To improve the health care standards in Singapore
Singapore has been striving for medical excellence and aims to be a regional, if not worldwide, medical hub. A professional service is expected and one aspect of that is effective communication. Thus by conducting this needs analysis we could identify key communication skills which are lacking in the current nursing industry. We could then modify the nursing curriculum to better equip nurses trained in NUS with the communication skills they need to excel in their workplace. This could have far reaching benefits in improving health care standards in Singapore which many patients will benefit from. Furthermore, raising the health care standards in Singapore would allow Singapore to compete with its regional competitors such as Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan thus bringing revenue to the country.

To improve communication between nurses and the patients and patients' relative
Effective communication between nurses and patients and their family members is important as it promotes understanding between health care givers and public. With such understanding, nurses will better understand the needs of their patients and thus better treatment can be administered. Better understanding also results in lesser conflict and complaints which is beneficial for the hospital both in reputation and in resources by avoiding litigation.

To improve communication skills between nurses and other health care givers
Effective communication between nurses and other health care givers results in smoother operations in the hospital. Nurses will be able to effectively communicate the patient's needs to the doctors thus assisting the doctor in making accurate diagnosis. Patients will benefit from this and receive prompt and accurate medical treatment. Good communication skills also reduces incidents of miscommunication thus minimizing conflict between fellow health care givers.

To enhance nurses trained in NUS and give them a more competitive edge
By understanding the communication needs of the nursing industry, NUS could better equip their graduate nurses with skills which may give them an edge in performing in the workplace. This would allow NUS graduate nurses excel in the workplace and advance smoothly in their career. By producing highly skilled nurses, the School of Nursing would also receive good reputation thus contributing to NUS's reach for global excellence. This is especially important for a new nursing school with a reputation to build. Hospitals also benefits as less training is required.

To enhance the image of NUS

By producing top quality nurses which are highly valued by the nursing industry, NUS will be a step closer of becoming a world class university. NUS will then be poised to meet the competition from local and foreign institutes. The nursing program will also become more prestigious and future nurses trained in NUS will be more employable which is beneficial for NUS nursing graduates.