Crisis Management Communication Plan

HCS 350

Crisis Management Communication Plan

Crisis Management Communication Plan

Communication is a necessary and vital aspect of health care. During major crises, mass traumas, or disaster situations, communication will affect every person from staff, family members to person of the media outside of the hospital. The result of ineffective communication in emergency or crisis situations can lead to misinformation, major patient related disabilities, and even death. The first hours of a critical situation are crucial moments when a crisis communication plan is necessary to rapidly communicate particular elements of information to maintain patient safety, community cooperation, and prevent lateral emergencies.

During a crisis, the ability to rapidly and effectively relay clear and concise communication, prevent whenever possible, loss of human lives with minimal damage to the organization and community (Katz, 2013). A crisis communication plan develops the best possible prepared references and documented instructions for specific internal and external emergencies throughout the organization. Although the plan cannot prepare for every possible situation, the benefits of a health care institution will help contain the situation, minimize loss of life, maintain care for injured persons and coordinate with public health officials, and provide essential medical and health related resources.

During a major disaster, lines of communication may be interrupted or severed, public utilities and power supplies, loss of wireless telephone services forcing the member of the public, communities, and health care environments to rely on means of backup energy and electricity or word of mouth. This adds increased stressors during emergencies challenging effective communication. Physical, emotional, and psychological responses to stress during emergencies may severely affect communication dynamics, impacting communication during times when effective communication is necessary.

Communication dynamics may vary during times of different types of emergent situations; this can be an internal or external disaster and depending on the type, an established communication plan will need to be followed to decrease potential distress that is caused by traumatizing events. In 2008, following the worst natural disaster in the United States, Hurricane Katrina; the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] (2008) discuss the enormous challenges health care workers, first responders, and health care organizations experience during large-scale disasters and relief efforts. This review of how health care providers, communities and public health organizations responded to such disasters sheds light on the enormous responsibility communication plays in the physiological and psychological well being of every person involved.

A crisis situation that requires immediate action must always address ways to decrease stress, reduce confusion, alleviate public concern, maintain consistent and professional relations, and provide both emergency services and assist in stabilizing appropriate media communications. A communication team is essential to maintaining a crisis communication plan, and is essential to minimizing stress, maintaining accuracy of internal and external information, and developing the most effective means of communication. Crisis counseling is a predominately effective tool used to help health care providers, patients, and individuals who may experience physical or psychological stressor's during a large scale disasters. Disaster victims and health care providers assisting during major emergencies are not resilient from experiencing psychological or physical symptoms out of their control. Having feelings of anger, denial, hysteria, or other psychological distress Contillo (n. d.). Other ways to decreasing stressor's is to practice active listening, giving full attentions to what is required to maintain effective communication throughout a major crisis. According to NATO (2008), people and communities show remarkable psychosocial resilience. Up to approximately 75%