Communication in Nursing Practice: How Virtual Triage Nurses Build Trust Over the Phone

“Patients don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This quote, attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, illustrates the importance of communication in nursing. Empathy and effective communication are the cornerstones of today’s patient-centered care, an approach that prioritizes the individuality of each patient and develops a collaborative partnership between patients and those who care for them.

When nurses engage in compassionate and clear dialogue that includes active listening, they better understand patients’ needs, preferences, and beliefs that shape their physical outcomes. This understanding ultimately leads to enhanced trust and better compliance, optimizing patient care and results.

But how do you build this level of trust and communication from a distance? Can virtual triage nurses develop it when their communication relies solely on phone lines?

Here, we’ll explore the barriers virtual triage nurses face and the nurse-patient communication skills that can help overcome them.

Navigating the Challenges of Remote Nursing: Virtual Communication Barriers

Over 50 years ago, a legendary psychologist came up with the 7-38-55 rule. This rule, developed by Albert Mehrabian, states that about 55% of our communication is conveyed through body language, 38% comes from the tone of voice, and only 7% comes from the words we use.

While many have debunked this rule, saying it only applies when discussing feelings and attitudes and not facts, the basis is essential to remember when communicating. If someone is saying something that doesn’t align with their body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice, the disparity is crystal clear and off-putting. As humans, we know something is not quite right.

The bottom line is that, as a triage nurse, they are missing out on an essential aspect of communication in nursing—body language. To make up for it, they need to rely on their tone of voice and emotional engagement. And therein lies the key to building trust over the phone.

How Virtual Triage Nurses Build Trust Over the Phone

Good nurse-patient communication helps patients feel valued, safe, and cared for. A study reported in the HIPAA Journal explored this communication link from patients’ perspectives. It found that the most essential factors were friendliness, readiness to listen, and spending time with them.

While a triage nurse can’t be at a patient’s bedside, they can approach the conversation with a friendly attitude, appropriate listening skills, and a tone of voice that says they care.

Top Communication Techniques to Strengthen Patient Trust in Virtual Triage

One of the key communication techniques that strengthens rapport and builds trust is active listening. Active listening consists of verbal and non-verbal cues that demonstrate you hear and acknowledge what a patient has said and how they feel.

Attentiveness, patience, open-mindedness, and inquisitiveness are attributes connected to active listening skills. It allows nurses to understand what is said and how a patient feels.

Taking a patient-centered approach is another essential element in communication in nursing. This approach is centered around patients’ preferences and wants, ensuring they have the information they need to participate in their healthcare decisions.

The BATHE protocol is a technique that supports virtual triage nurses in providing compassionate, effective care. It encourages active listening, patient-centered care, and engagement, creating a more trusting relationship.

BATHE stands for Background, Affect, Trouble, Handling, and Empathy. Each component represents a question.

• Background = What is going on in your life?
• Affect = How do you feel about that?
• Trouble = What about the situation troubles you the most?
• Handling = How are you handling that?
• Empathy = A closing statement like, That must be very frustrating or difficult for you.

Studies find that this open and empathetic approach to communication in nursing practice encourages engagement and improves patient satisfaction. Improved satisfaction generally results in greater trust and positive clinical outcomes.

Why Trust Matters: How Building Rapport Improves Patient Care

Through active listening and empathetic engagement, virtual triage nurses gain trust. This trust translates to patients who are more willing to share critical health information that can affect their treatment and outcomes.

Trust and rapport also empower patients to participate actively in their healthcare. It increases the likelihood that they’ll adhere to prescribed protocols, medications, and therapies.

When patients genuinely trust a nurse, they discuss their concerns and feel more secure. Studies show this trust results in enhanced cooperation and a more active role in improving their health.

Best Practices for Effective Virtual Triage Nursing: Ensuring Quality Care

In addition to strong and clear nursing communication skills, best practices for virtual triage nursing include:

• Assessment: Use of evidence-based guidelines, such as the Schmitt-Thompson protocols. The gold standard in triage nursing, these comprehensive protocols support virtual nurses in making the right decisions under pressure, leading to accurate care levels and the highest-quality healthcare advice.
• Practice-Specific Protocols: Nurses adhering to office-specific protocols improve the patient experience, creating a seamless extension of team members.
• Expertise: Virtual triage nurses should have experience in the specialty of the practice, such as cardiology, hospice care, or gastroenterology. This knowledge, combined with evidence-based protocols, ensures accurate assessments and appropriate actions.

Building Trust, Improving Care: The Future of Virtual Triage Nursing

As our digital world unfolds, the demand for virtual triage nursing is expected to increase significantly, driven by patient preferences and nursing shortages. By guiding patients to the appropriate level of care, from emergency referrals to providing suggestions for at-home care or scheduling appointments, they give patients the support they need, when they need it.

In healthcare practices, this support provides a convenient and cost-effective means to offer patients 24/7 healthcare access. It also reduces the burden on emergency services, as many of these cases may be diverted to more appropriate outpatient settings.

The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This level of well-being requires an approach to communication in nursing and care that incorporates trust, compassion, and empathy.

At notifyMD®, our dedicated registered nurses employ best practices when performing nurse triage services. These best practices include adhering to the Schmitt-Thompson protocols and practicing effective communication skills. To learn more about our nurse triage services, contact notifyMD®.