Difficult Interprofessional Conversations: Developing a Feedback Tool for Nursing Students

Background: Failure to engage in difficult interprofessional conversations is a source of patient care errors. Nursing students rarely practice and get feedback on these “crucial conversations.” Methods: We developed and piloted a feedback tool for second-year nursing students to facilitate practice of difficult interprofessional conversations with standardized colleagues. Results: The tool identified opportunities for conflict resolution, specifically in the areas of problem identification, nonverbal communication, and respectful communication. A common challenge was providing a safe environment for these conversations. Conclusions: The development of an easy-to-use tool for difficult interprofessional conversations identifies specific areas for consistent feedback across a variety of situations.