York Town News
York resident writing book to improve healthcare communication
By Melissa Wood
YORK - Local resident Beth Boynton spent 20 years in nursing, minored in theatre and communications in college and eventually earned a Master's degree in organizational development.
"Yet even a year and a half ago, in a situation as a nurse, I had to tell a doctor to stop interrupting me," she said.
Boynton said she's learned to speak up in such situations, but knows that it isn't easy.
"Partly it's the individuals and partly it's the culture," said Boynton, who is using her education and nursing background to try to change those dynamics.
She is collecting stories from other nurses who have had similar experiences to include in a book that she hopes will raise awareness and improve healthcare communication.
That awareness is needed, said Boynton, because communication problems among healthcare workers affect everybody - especially when 50,000 to 100,000 deaths a year can be attributed to medical error.
"It's basic communication, but it's not easy when there's so much stress and so much stuff connected with it, like liability," said Boynton.
Boynton has heard many stories, including one of a nurse who had just arrived at work when a physician stormed up to the unit, upset that a patient of hers had been brought down for a colonoscopy and wasn't properly prepped for the procedure. Although the patient had been brought down by a nurse on the previous shift, the doctor yelled at her and called her stupid, humiliating the nurse in front of other coworkers, doctors, nurses and patients. The nurse said that at first she was stunned, then upset, then angry and when she left, she cried.
Boynton said that communication problems are created not just by doctors who practice abusive behavior but also by the people who witness such behavior and do nothing to stop it.
"One important principal is that there are no innocent bystanders," said Boynton. "We all have to say this isn't okay, not just the people in power."
Boynton said the nurse was assertive in reporting the episode.
"She made a courageous step forward to do something about it," said Boynton, who added that in her own life, both personally and professionally, she's also had to learn how to speak up for herself. "I've always been a really good patient advocate. ... I would go miles and make 20 phone calls, but I haven't always been as good an advocate for myself."
Boynton said working to change those communication dynamics includes examining her own behavior and personal relationships, and asking herself what she is doing in these relationships.
"I haven't always been assertive," she said. "I think I've been trying to get my arms around it for years."
As she prepares her manuscript, Boynton said she is contacting publishers and is working on making a survey available through various state and professional nursing organizations to gather more stories.
Although Boynton said some of those organizations have been extremely helpful, she's also had some states refuse to publish the survey and a nurse who wrote back that she's never experienced abuse - something that doesn't surprise Boynton, who said that some people probably aren't aware of what constitutes abuse.
"Awareness is a really important thing," said Boynton. "In order to change it we're going to have to increase awareness of what it looks like."
Although the book was first targeted primarily at nurses, she thinks it could just as easily be broadened to reach others in the healthcare industry as well. Boynton said she believes, ultimately, to change the culture starts in school, and she could envision a communications course that everybody takes.
"To me it's common sense," said Boynton. "If we don't respectfully listen, we are going to break down communication. Do we need to research that?"
Boynton said she welcomes any suggestions as well as stories that she can include in the book.
She can be reached by email at bbbboynton@earthlink.net. More information may also be found online at http://www.bethboynton.com/.
