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.
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