Effective Communication

1066 Words3 Pages

As a pharmacist you must be able to effectively communicate with your patients in order to care for them. This includes being experienced in the following skills of nonverbal communication and effective listening. A pharmacist should also be able to resolve conflicts and identify communication barriers when dealing with patients. When most people think about communication, they tend to focus only on the spoken word. It is crucial to remember that nonverbal communication is a key component of effective communication. While the spoken word can express ideas, nonverbal communication can convey emotion. This can include gestures, facial expression, and body posture. It displays our innermost thoughts and feelings and can be very tough to disguise. What makes nonverbal communication tricky is that it can be interpreted differently by each person. In order for a pharmacist to be effective with nonverbal communication, it is vital that they utilize the verbal and nonverbal cues together to interpret the complete message. Effective listening is an additional skill that every pharmacist should be proficient in. Effective listening includes active listening, which is a process that includes hearing not only what is being said but also processing and interpreting the message to comprehend the entire meaning. Pharmacists can demonstrate effective listening with patients by providing feedback to confirm they understand the patient’s message. Pharmacists are being challenged everyday with new problems and must be able to take the appropriate steps to resolve such conflicts. Conflict resolution is being able to successfully find solutions to resolve a conflict. Conflicts that pharmacists may encounter include a patient who is non-compliant ... ... middle of paper ... ... receive a flu shot. You notice that the patient is taking longer than usual to fill out the form to receive the shot. As a pharmacist, you should understand that being illiterate is a communication barrier that a patient might have. It is also important to aid the patient with completing their form without insulting their intelligence. Some patients might become offended and upset which leads to a conflict between the patient and pharmacist. It is the pharmacist’s responsibility to resolve these conflicts by overcoming any communication barriers. As a pharmacist, it is important to be skilled in nonverbal communication and effective listening. Pharmacists should also be able to overcome communication barriers and effectively cope with conflicts. A pharmacist who is able to incorporate all of these concepts into their practice will succeed at caring for patients.

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