The Role of Nursing Leadership in Promoting Patient Safety Through Effective Communication Strategies

Posted: Nov 29, 2023

• Brandon Mills
• Madeline Cruz
• Theo Simmons

Abstract

Patient safety remains a paramount concern in healthcare delivery systems worldwide, with communication failures consistently identified as root causes in adverse event analyses. While extensive research has examined communication patterns among healthcare teams, the specific role of nursing leadership in shaping communication dynamics to enhance patient safety represents an underdeveloped area of inquiry. This research addresses this gap by investigating how nursing leaders strategically employ communication to create environments conducive to error prevention and safety promotion. Traditional approaches to patient safety have often focused on technical solutions and protocol implementation, neglecting the critical human factors that nursing leadership uniquely influences through communication practices. The contemporary healthcare landscape demands nursing leaders who can navigate complex interdisciplinary relationships while maintaining focus on patient safety outcomes. This study posits that effective nursing leadership communication serves as the linchpin connecting organizational safety goals with frontline clinical practice. By examining the communication strategies of nursing leaders across diverse healthcare settings, this research develops a comprehensive understanding of how leadership communication directly impacts patient safety metrics. The investigation moves beyond superficial assessments of communication frequency to analyze the quality, timing, and contextual appropriateness of leadership communication in relation to safety outcomes. This research is guided by three primary questions: How do nursing leaders' communication strategies directly influence patient safety indicators? What specific communication behaviors differentiate high-performing safety units from those with poorer safety records? To what extent can targeted communication training for nursing leaders improve patient safety outcomes? These questions frame an investigation that bridges leadership theory, communication science, and patient safety research to generate practical insights for healthcare organizations.