Communication plays a key role in being an efficient and effective leader in any setting. Good communication is necessary not just among the healthcare staff but also between staff and the patients as well as the community as a whole. Knowing and understanding different cultures within the region where we work is vital to providing effective care. Listening to community leaders can help an organization prepare educational classes for new employees.

Through my coursework, I have learned the value of effective communication skills. Leaders need to create an engaged workforce to achieve and sustain an employee-focused culture. Employee engagement largely depends on how effective communication is between the employees and their leadership team (Salsbury, 2013). A good leader will ensure that employees truly understand the organization’s goals. 

This master’s program has asked me to put together several PowerPoint presentations that could be used to show my grasp of not just specific healthcare topics but also my understanding of the concepts being taught. An example of this is my Ignite presentation on the pros and cons of patient portals. This is a topic that most, if not all healthcare workers are going to be familiar with in a matter of time. Ignite Video.mp4

To provide the best care possible, healthcare providers need to be able to engage and educate not just the patients but their families as well. This includes understanding the views of different cultures when it comes to the healing process. Healthcare providers need to empower patients by giving them the knowledge they need in a way they can understand. At the same time, the providers need to be able to listen to the patients to allow the removal of barriers that may exist.

Rural and remote populations face unique challenges. This is especially true when we look at emergency care. First, it typically takes longer for rural patients to get the healthcare they need. This holds true whether these patients are going to the hospital, or an emergency response vehicle is trying to get to them. The second factor is that many of these patients also present with more complicated, dire, and further progressed symptoms. Telemedicine, along with the expansion and improvement of trauma systems will help reduce mortality rates in rural areas.