Communication is a Vital Concept in Nursing

This essay will highlight one of the key concepts of nursing .The concept that will be discussed in this essay will be communication, the reason for this chosen concept is that communication plays a vital role in everyday occurrences which defines how a situation is perceived by yourself, others and how communication is effectively handled . There will be a definition on what communication is also an evaluation of the chosen concept will be explored throughout this essay.

Communication can be defined as a social interaction where at least two interacting agents share a common set of signs and a common set of rules (Schramm, 1954). There are different forms of communication, verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication can be defined as a medium for communication that entails talking using the spoken word, such as talking face-to-face, on a telephone, or as a speech. With verbal communication the effectiveness can be determined by the use of jargon free language so that the patient is able to relate and relay the information supplied. Use open and closed questions allowing the patient to be able to converse with you about and problems he or she may be concerned about, this also benefits the health care practitioner as it allows them to confirm that the patient understands what is being said. In addition, it is also essential to take into account tone and clarity of speech as patient can be hard of hearing and misunderstand the matter at hand which could lead to unnecessary errors.

Non-verbal communication can be defined as a medium for communication which entails using cues via body language to convey message content. Facial expressions, body gestures, and voice tone are forms of nonverbal communication (Essentials of Communication...

... middle of paper ...

... a point of reference in future practice and implement communicational skills which have been learned while doing this essay.

To conclude in order to have effective patient centred care, communication must be involved. It is vital as a nurse to take into consideration that communication plays an important role in practice and nurses must be aware of all the different types of communication discussed in this essay. It is evident in this essay that lack of communication can prove unfavourable to the patients’ wellbeing but according to (Swinny, 2010) communication can build relationships not only amongst patients and nurses but also with nurses and staff. Altogether communication is needed in all aspect of nursing and must be implemented with staff and with patient to avoid complication and ensure safe and effective practice which is apparent throughout this essay.