Effective communication skills in nursing practice

Imagine where a hospital would be without communication.  Imagine working in the operating room and assisting the surgeon, and he does not talk.  Obviously this would never work.

Importance of Communication

Communication is the transfer of information between two or more people. People working in the medical profession are in constant means of communication. This can be between a nurse and a doctor, and insurance company, a patient or their family, or another nurse.  Communication can be rather complex in the medical profession, as medical terminology may not be familiar to patients or their families.  Communication is not satisfactory if in fact the person you are communicating to, here’s your words, but does not understand them.            

Components of Successful Communication

A sender, a receiver and a message. We frequently have a great deal of information to send to others in a short period of time. To do this effectively, we need to know that there are factors which could influence how our message is interpreted. We must consider the setting in which the communication occurs, the noise level surrounding the area, and what is the person doing that, you are talking to, make sure they are listening.  

Related: Forensic Nurses

Breakdown in communication can cause negative outcomes. We all know how important it is to give a thorough patient report to the oncoming nurse at shift change.   In situations where this does not occur and important information is not conveyed, treatments, medications, etc. may be missed. For example, in one situation, an oncoming nurse was not informed that a patient had fallen on the previous shift. The nurse, therefore, did not know to assess the patient for injuries or other complications from the fall, or to initiate fall precautions. The patient fell once again and was injured. This possibly could have been prevented had the communication between the nurses been complete.

Honesty

Don’t tell a patient that you are going to do something unless you mean it, and if you can’t follow through, explain why. Promises, if made, must be kept. Other important factors are availability and responsiveness. Patients and families become impatient and sometimes angry when they feel that they are being ignored. Sometimes these feelings are not reasonable, but sometimes they are justifiable. If we encounter this type of complaint, we need to take a look at the communication process, timing, etc. between the nurse and the patient. If it appears inadequate, take corrective action.

It has been said that as much as 80% of our communication is non-verbal. We need to pay attention to our body language, eye contact, and tone of voice when addressing patients and families.

Communication & Delegating

A good supervisor is a good communicator, and delegator.  They are able, to delegate responsibilities to other nurses, and they are able, to, communicate exactly, what is to be done.  Without good communication, delegating would be useless. 

Communication to avoid Misunderstandings

70% of coworker disputes involve some form of communication.  Someone may say something that another misunderstands, and the dispute erupts.  Be precise when communicating, explain what you are requesting, and think for a moment how another person might interpret what, you, are saying. 

This also is true when addressing nursing delegation with nursing supervisors, co-workers, and virtually everyone else.

Conflict among co-workers can impact patients and sometimes can be prevented or corrected if we are aware of how our attitude may be interpreted. Also, cultural awareness can be an important part of the knowledge base that we need to have when communicating as nurses. For example, we may want to pat the arm or hold the hand of a patient or family member, but we need to make sure that this behavior is acceptable and not seen as inappropriate.

Related: The Most Common Nursing Mistakes

The next time you plan to advise a coworker of something, stop and think about what you are saying and how, you are saying it; this will make you become a better communicator. 

Keep in mind that verbal talk is only a part of communication.  Be away of your body stance and positioning.  Do you appear threatening or as if you are mad?  You can convey your message without the addition of an intimidating stance; you are more likely to get the listener's attention if you don't come on too abruptly.   

The next time you go to communicate something important, think of what you are saying, and how would you perceive it if you were the person on the receiving end.  

Related: Reputable Pediatric Nurse and Public Health Nurse Mary Stebbins, PHN, will be Highlighted in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare

Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest  and Twitter