Speakers
Dr Victoria Metaxa
Dr Katerina Rusinova
Charmaine Buss
Stream 3
This interactive session explores the critical role of communication in the ICU, using simulation to highlight best practices and common pitfalls. Delegates will learn practical techniques to foster effective, culturally sensitive communication and examine how miscommunication can lead to conflict. The session will also address how to recognise, de-escalate, and manage disagreement when it arises—along with its potential impact on ICU teams and patient care.
Learning points:
1. Understand the core principles of effective communication in the ICU.
2. Recognise the impact of words, pauses and questions.
3. Apply practical techniques to navigate and de-escalate disagreement.
4. Appreciate the emotional and professional toll of conflict on ICU healthcare providers.
Chairperson: Victoria Metaxa King’s College Hospital
Katerina Rusinova
Practical tips for good communication
Charmaine Buss
The impact of conflict on the team
Charmaine Buss is an experienced Adult Critical Care Family Liaison Nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, with over 15 years of expertise in intensive care and organ donation. She was instrumental in developing and implementing the first known Adult Family Liaison Nurse role in the UK, a pioneering initiative established between 2017 and 2019. Since then, the Family Liaison model has continued to evolve within NUH and similar roles are now being established across the country to better support patients and their families in intensive care environments.
Charmaine began her nursing career in critical care at King’s College Hospital before joining NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) as a Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation. Over 11 years with NHSBT, she provided expert guidance and compassionate support to families during some of the most difficult conversations of their lives, developing deep expertise in complex communication, end-of-life care, and bereavement support.
In addition to her clinical experience, Charmaine holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in Health Law and Ethics (2016), providing a strong foundation in the legal and ethical dimensions of healthcare. She is also a trained mediator, having completed training with the Society of Mediators in 2020, and is skilled in communication skills facilitation and is informed in some psychological models of care, particularly Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Her specialist interests include the psychological impact of critical care on patients, relatives, and staff, and the development of strategies to support emotional well-being across all groups. Charmaine is deeply committed to promoting family-centred care, effective communication, often in challenging situations within clinical settings, and the creation of psychologically safe environments.
Beyond her professional and academic achievements, Charmaine is a proud wife and mum. She describes her role as one that continues to teach her every day—about the importance of self-reflection, the power of language, the nuances of communication, and the depth of human emotion.
