Communication and leadership in emergency situations: Systematic literature review and recommendations for practice

Abstract

Background: Communication and leadership are two interconnected concepts that are essential to achieving successful and high-quality team interventions in emergency situations.Objective: To identify communication and leadership best practices in emergency situations.Methods: A systematic literature review with meta-synthesis was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewers’ Manual (JBI, 2014). A search was conducted to identify studies published between January 2006 and July 2016 using the terms communication, leadership, and emergency. Studies in the areas of pediatrics or simulated practice environments were excluded.Results: Nineteen of the 447 studies found in the search met the inclusion criteria. During synthesis, data were divided into three dimensions: leader’s characteristics, initial and lifelong training, and leadership process. Communication and leadership training were considered essential for developing skills required in emergency situations.Conclusions: Despite the low level of evidence of the included studies, this study puts forward recommendations for communication and leadership best practices in emergency situations.