Interview Consultation, Enhancing Communication in the Intensive Care Unit by Identifying an Appropriate Whiteboard Template

Let’s improve communication between staff, patients, and family members within an Intensive Care Unit (ICU)! Royal Inland Hospital is working on an initiative to utilize bedside whiteboards in the ICU as a communication tool and your input is needed.

Open to: Patient partners in the Interior Health region

Lead Organization or Department

Interior Health - Royal Inland Hospital (RIH), Intensive Care Unit/Critical Care Network

Aim

The aim for this initiative is to improve communication between staff, patients and family members and therefore enhance person centred care in the ICU.  With patient partner input, this initiative will identify appropriate use of bedside whiteboards as a new communication tool.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement (www.iap2.org). The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.

Eligibility

• Patients or family members who are comfortable discussing a previous ICU communication experience (ideally within the past 2 years)
• If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and volunteer agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 10
• Format: 15 min telephone interview.
• Date and time: Efforts will be made to accommodate the availability of patient partners between 8:30-4:30, Monday-Friday during the weeks of July 20-21, July 24-28 and August 14-18.

Reimbursement

Expenses will not be incurred for this engagement.

Background

Whiteboards have become an increasingly popular communication strategy within hospitals. The Intensive Care Unit at Royal Inland Hospital is in the process of developing a template for bedside whiteboards with predefined fields of content that will improve teamwork, communication, and patient care. The goals of this initiative include developing a tool that will enhance patient understanding of treatment, engage patient and family in their care, and improve the overall patient experience. Patient partners, registered nurses, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, registered respiratory therapist, care aides, and the medical team will be involved in this initiative. The results of this initiative will be shared with Interior Health's Critical Care Network and patient partners involved in the work.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jacquelyne Foidart
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Thompson Cariboo
250.879.1077
jfoidart@bcpsqc.ca