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Importance of communication skills to health providers
Importance of communication skills to health providers
Importance of communication skills to health providers
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While taking care of my patient on the cardiothoracic intensive care unit, I assisted another nurse who was helping her seventy-one year old patient ambulate to promote circulation and decrease the patient’s chance of developing pneumonia. It also helps the patient to build strength and confidence after such a major surgery like this patient underwent. This patient had come in with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and had a history of cocaine and alcohol abuse, atrial fibrillation, mitral regurgitation, and hypertension. She had a left ventricular assistive device placed, and ten days after the device had been placed, she was diagnosed with H1N1, had a tracheostomy performed, and was placed on the ventilator. Since she had to wear a mask when outside of her room and had a tracheostomy, it was really difficult to understand the patient’s needs, and this was very concerning to me. If the nurse is unable to understand the needs of the patient, the patient is at risk. Grossbach, Stranberg, and Chlan (2011) state that “difficulties with communication often cause anxiety, frustration, and fear in patients.” (p. 47). Patients in the intensive care unit are already under an extensive amount of stress due to the criticalness of their illness, and they do not need to experience more stress because that can slow down the healing process. Therefore, it is pertinent to find alternative ways to effectively communicate with your patient when there are barriers, such as this patient had. The nurse who I assisted to ambulate this patient was much more knowledgeable about the strategies developed to communicate with this patient than I was. When the nurse communicated with this patient, she spoke directly to the patient where the patient was able to ... ... middle of paper ... ...t could lead to detrimental effects. Through this experience, I have become a better nurse. I am more aware of key strategies that I can use with my patients who are unable to clearly verbalize their needs, and I have a broader understanding and increased appreciation for communication. This is something many take for granted every day, and it is such an important factor in fulfilling our needs. Without communication, nurses are unable to provide care to patients because the nurses do not know what the patient’s needs are. Therefore, as nurses, it is extremely important and our responsibility to efficiently communicate with all of our patients each and every day. Works Cited Grossbach, I., Stranberg, S., & Chlan, L. (2011). Promoting Effective Communication for Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation. Critical Care Nurse, 31(3), 46-61. doi: 10.4037/ccn2010728
According to Du Pre (2013), effective health communication saves time and money, helps healthcare organizations run effectively and is an important source of personal confidence and coping ability. She approaches communication with each patient and their family through a process of understanding and sharing meaning (Du Pre, 2013, p. 8). She pays close attention to the people she is communicating with by listening and watching their actions and emotions; she encourages a sense of team – that they are not alone; she displays sensitivity while being pleasantly comical. The intake nurse is one of the first medical professionals the patient encounters while visiting the emergency department. She ultimately sets the tone and standard for health communication, and I feel that she does an excellent
To start implementing this framework, one need to understand and acknowledge that every patient is not only different from one another, but a unique individual. Assumptions and stereotypes about a specific cultural group must be avoided, along with personal biases (Murphy, 2011). Furthermore, actively listening and fully engaging patients’ can improve nurse-patient communication and enhance patient outcome.
“Communication is the heart of nursing… your ability to use your growing knowledge and yourself as an instrument of care and caring and compassion” (Koerner, 2010, as cited in Balzer-Riley, 2012, p. 2). The knowledge base which Koerner is referring to includes important concepts such as communication, assertiveness, responsibility and caring (Balzer-Riley, 2012). Furthermore, communication is complex. It includes communication with patients, patient families, doctors, co-workers, nurse managers and many others. Due to those concepts and the variety of people involved, barriers and issues are present. Knowing how to communicate efficiently can be difficult.
A therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is outlined as a helping relationship grounded on shared respect, trust, the encouragement of having faith and hope in oneself and others, and emotional support (Pullen et al., 2010). In doing so, the nurse can establish complete satisfaction of the patients needs, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual. This relationship produces when the patient and the nurse come together in harmony and peace (Pullen et al., 2010). Efficient verbal and nonverbal communication is an essential aspect of interaction between nurse and patient – in doing this, the patient feels on par with the nurse, as an equal, rather than having no indication of what procedures are taking place (Pullen et al., 2010).
Communication encompasses a wide range of processes such as the exchange of information, listening, posing of questions (Fleischer et al., 2009) or use of body language. In a healthcare environment where there are constant interactions among nurses, doctors, patients and other health professionals, professional and effective communication is important in ensuring high quality healthcare standards and meeting the individual needs of patients.
Furthermore it’s very important not to judge the patient pertaining to what they may have to say. Good communication helps nurses build a relationship with their patient. Linking my personal experience from the clinical area relates to the practical side of nursing. It is necessary for communication between the nurse and the patient to be clear, understandable, appropriate and
According to Brenda Rush and Joan Cook (2006), Professors from the University of Nottingham School of Nursing, one of the most important aspects of being a “good nurse,” identified by patients, is effective communication (as cited in Astbury, 2008). As explained by Fakhr-Movahedi, Salsali, Negarandeh, and Rahnavard (2011), professors from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, strong communication skills are essential to posses in a career as a nurse to assist in “prevention, treatment, therapy, rehabilitation, education, and health promotion” (as cited in Kourkouta and Papathanasiou, 2014, p. 65). Nurses must master verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills to be able to provide the best care for their patients. It is imperative
Communication is a major aspect of the nursing field. The nursing student should plan to use effective communication everyday whether they are in class or in the clinical setting. Nonverbal communication is the use of body language, touch and physical appearance, while verbal is the spoken words that have a private meaning (Boykins & Carter, 2012). Communication is used daily in the healthcare setting. For example, communication is used to update fellow nursing staff or doctors about a patient’s condition. If effective communication is not present while providing care, the nurse-client bond will never form. The nursing student should use therapeutic communication to build a relationship with their client. In doing this, the nursing student is showing their concern and care for the client so that they are able to fully trust them and their
With reference to the patient within my scenario: the patient is also a practicing ward nurse and has been so for the last eighteen years. On one occasion, the patient had removed her own IV leur believing that she had completed all of her IV medications. Unfortunately, I needed to administer Ferinject IV medication but was delayed in doing so until a new IV leur could be inserted several hours later. On a separate occasion, the patient had forcefully snatched her hospital notes out of my hands, stating that ‘I am a nurse, it is my right to see this’. Due to these two instances, I have decided to investigate the nurse-patient role and relationship in regards to power balance.
Therapeutic nurse-patient relationships lay the groundwork for successful care and rehabilitation of a patient in any setting. Whether the patient is in a nursing home, hospital, or receiving home care, a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is vital to the care of the patient. A therapeutic nurse-patient relationship can be defined as a professional relationship between the nurse and the patient that, “focuses on the client, is goal directed, and has defined parameters” (Craven & Hirnle, 2009, p. 329).
Arrangements need to be made so that they understand what is happening clearly, whether getting in a translator or just taking slightly more time so that there is a clear flow of communication happening. This will improve the quality of care that they are receiving. A study conducted by Hemsley, Balandin and Worrall (2012) has shown that time is an important factor in communication and where there are barriers nurses may avoid opening the communication channel directly with their patient rather than focussing on the patient’s carer or family to relay the message. This is a less effective way of communicating with a patient, as it does not create an environment where a patient will feel able to communicate freely to discuss any problems they may be having. Anthony & Vidal (2010) point out that the use of correct information is vital, as registered nurses rely on information to conduct quality and safe care. There may be issues with that information if it is not communicated correctly which can lead to common nursing
Communication in the nursing practice and in healthcare is important because when talking with patients, their families, and staff, the nurse and the nursing student needs to be able to efficiently express the information that they want the other person to understand. “Verbal communication is a primary way of transmitting vital information concerning patient issues in hospital settings” (Raica, 2009, para. 1). When proper communication skills are lacking in nursing practice, the chances of errors and risks to the patient’s safety increases. One crucial aspect of communication that affects the patient care outcome is how the nurse and the nursing student interacts and communicates with the physicians and other staff members. If the nurse is not clear and concise when relaying patient information to other members of the healthcare team the patient care may be below the expected quality.
The introduction paragraph gives information on communication and the impact that it has on patient-nurse relationships. It gives the reader an understanding of what is involved in true communication and how that it is a fundamental part of nursing and skills all nurses need. It leads those interested in delivering quality nursing to read on. Showing us the significance that communication makes in the
Interpersonal communication within the field of nursing is imperative in all areas to deliver a holistic positive outcome in patient care. Specifically, active listening, questioning with intent and reflective feedback ascertain an understanding of a patient’s health, illness, and healthcare. Active listening allows the patient to convey their concerns and presents the nurse with an understanding of the patient when implementing a personalised care plan. Questioning with intent builds an appreciation of the situation, and reflective feedback promotes improvements to enrich work ethics of the nursing cohort. Listening actively involves many different styles whereby information is gathered through verbal and non-verbal communication. Questioning
I have explained three of the seven principles that I use while interacting with my patients daily. The three methods of communication were defined and explained how each is used in the healthcare setting. The communication method that works best on my unit was explained per my unit’s preference. The four-ethical principle regarding communication were explained along with how these principles and team communication affect patient safety. Overall, this paper has demonstrated why communication is important in the health care