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Improving nursing communication with patients
Good communication in health care
Good communication in health care
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This year I am most excited about learning how to better communicate with children and being able to see how communication changes depending on their stage of development. I’m excited to learn how to accurately take blood pressure and other vital signs like pulse and respiration. As well as, being able to identify any values that are abnormal. I am also eager to learn how to appropriately express these abnormal finds to my young patients without igniting fear. I believe my biggest strength as a nursing student is my attention to detail. In all of my assignments I take extra time to ensure that my work has gone above and beyond what is expected. This will also be true with my patients. I want to ensure that I am giving my patients the best
In healthcare one of the major obstacles employees attempt to overcome is the communication gap. The outpatient clinics in particular find it challenging to keep in contact with the hospital. In the healthcare market to have success you must have communication. Romano observed that hospitals are branching out; outpatient setting offer lucrative services that are rendered in a well-situated environment (2006). The outpatient sector is where the profit is made; this is clearly the way of the future. If prospective clinics are to fulfill patient and employees needs, a communication policy must be put into practice. By employing a communication strategy employees will be more productive, more informed, and administration could expect to see enhanced customer service.
There are different forms and reason people communicate in a health and social care environment. Methods of communication used in social care settings range from verbal and non-verbal communication and as such, communication is the exchange of information between people in an organisation (BTEC, 2010). Pearson Education Limited identified the different reasons people communicate which are; to express needs; to share ideas and information; to reassure; to express feelings and/or concerns; to build relationships; socialise; to persuade, argue and inform; to compliment and gain attention; to learn, teach and educate; to ask questions and to share experiences (2013). Hence, Communication is about making contact with others, we communicate to understand and to be understood. Thus, it involves
Skills that a nurse may need to ensure that individuals are treated fairly and the care that they need is specific to them include; a good listener, this makes sure that the patient applies trust in you as a nurse and trusts you to help them in their time of need. Reliable, this helps the patient to have trust within you and this may help them with day to day lifestyle choices and could boost self-esteem. Good communication skills, this will ensure that the patient gets a say in the care that they receive and they have the right to refuse treatment, although this is not the case in some cases.
A few being good communication skills, reliability, emotional stability, and empathy. RN’s need good communication skills because they are constantly in contact with people. Whether it is doctors, other nurses, or their patients, “Nurses always need to be on top of their game and make sure that their patients are clearly understood by everyone else”. (Top 10 Qualities of a Great Nurse). Nurses need to be very reliable. Doctors need to be able to rely on their nurses to get the job done. “When you think of the medical field we often think of doctors. Nurses are the real deal that keeps the medical field together… Dr. 's need their nurses. In school they told us that if the nurses were upset, your whole day would go bad” (Kroon, Melissa. Personal interview. 26 October 2015). Without nurses, doctors wouldn’t be able to run a smooth show. To keep the “medical field together” nurses need to be one step ahead, ready for anything that comes their
In health and social care effective communication a key skill all professionals should have when working with families, carers, children and young people. Having this skill helps to build trust it can also encourage the individual to use the services. Effective communication is essential when trying to establish and maintain relationships and it is a process that involves listening, questioning, responding and understanding. However there are many barriers that can effect how effective the communication is a few examples of these barriers could be: language, personality, visual or auditory impairment or a disability. In order to over come these barriers there have been many advances in the strategies that can help in situations where the communication is not effective, a strategy is a method or a plan that can help someone or something succeed in achieving a goal or result.
Over the last nine years, I have been in the healthcare profession. When I was younger, I never imagined myself wanting a career when I would manage people, but who does? I always aspired to be a pilot, until reality kicked in. When I was fifteen, I had to volunteer a couple hundreds of hours for the school program in which I attended. I decided to volunteer at a local hospital. Little did I know that volunteering for three years would have led me into wanting a profession in healthcare. After volunteering for three years, I decided to get a job for a local community health center, where I have been employed for the last six years. I have held several different positions in those six years and I have learned a plethora of skills, many involving interpersonal communication.
Different Types of Communication in Care Settings We live in a world where communication is a vital process of day to day life. Without communication the world would be in turmoil people would be in pain, there would be no jobs because you wouldn’t know what to do, there would most likely be more violence and the government would not be able to look after its country because there would be no government. In care settings such as care homes for the elderly, nurseries, schools it is essential for a communication plan that is understandable by the carers and also that the client can understand the carers. In day to day live we use the same communication skills but we don’t have guides or rules to follow it is a natural process
Being able to communicate effectively is important for all life skills. Communication can be defined as the simplest act of transferring information from one to another, whether it is verbal or non-verbal. Effective communication between nurse and patient is often the main key to success. Communication is a process of exchange of ideas between individuals. It is the basis of nursing activities, especially in the nurse-patient relationship.
I believe that nursing should be a holistic approach, dealing with a patient’s body, mind, and soul. It is definitely a physically demanding job, but equally as important is the demand for emotional input. My past academic performance, as well as my personal qualities, provides the foundation for my career. A core characteristic of a successful nurse is teamwork and the ability to act as the liaison between the patients and the doctors. Besides working well in a team, it is also important to seek out help when necessary. Another vital quality is the understanding of diversity and the importance of acknowledging and honoring, rather than judging or ignoring, what makes people different. Critical thinking allows nurses to take action and make referrals. Nurses must be able to obtain autonomy through critical thinking skills that arm them with the ability to respond to the constant changes and needs of a patient in their charge. As nurses build on practical knowledge, gain experience and continue educational endeavors, the intellectually disciplined process allows the nurse to recognize possible patient problems. Lastly, the saying, “Measure twice, cut once” goes a long way when discussing safety in nursing. Regardless of how stressed or overwhelmed a person might feel, it is imperative to pay attention to detail to avoid sentinel events or near misses. These are the crucial qualities that I hope to attain as a nurse and important goals to conform to throughout my years as a registered
Communication is defined by the American Nurses Association (2013) as reflection in the competencies that embrace effectively communication information and ideas in writing and verbally as well as expressing ideas clearly and concisely and inspiring others. Communication is imperative to human interaction for without it, people cannot relate to those around them, make their needs and concerns known, or make sense of what is happening to them (Casey 2011). Communication in nursing occurs everyday and it plays a crucial role in the management of patients and the quality of care delivered. Because communication occurs with both verbal and non-verbal signals, nurses need to be aware of not just thoughts, opinions, and ideas, but also of feelings, emotions, and non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and touch. Nurses who communicate effectively are better to able to collect assessment data, initiate interventions, evaluate outcome of interventions, initiate change that promotes health, and prevent legal problems associated with nursing practices (Berman et al, 2008, p. 460). Nurses need to be aware of good communication skills and what barriers come along with communication. Communication barriers include distractions, inadequate knowledge, stress, poor planning, differences in perception, emotions, and personality (Berman et al, 2008, p. 471). Good communication includes establishing a clear purpose, actively listening, being compassionate, telling the truth, being flexible, and committing to resolution (Berman et al, 2008, p. 474). Communication is vital to ensure optimal patient care and safety.
Personal strengths I will contribute to nursing include strong communication, adaptability, and attentiveness to detail. Strong communication is vital between nurses, patients, and their other health care providers. Nurses disclose the information they learn about patients to other nurses and leading physicians, in order to diagnose and treat medical issues. If strong communication is not upheld this has negative side effects on someones healing. When I was in the hospital, I noticed a lack of communication between the nurses and my surgeon. The surgeon was not informed of the severity of my pain after surgery and this lead to a severe complication. I intend to utilize my skills of communication, so complications can be avoided. As a nurse being adaptable to any situation which may arise is crucial. Working in a hospital is unpredictable and nurses have a responsibility as health care leaders to know a course of action in any situation. I am adaptable because when faced with new and unexpected changes I am able to quickly react and think of solutions to any possible issues. Finally, I am also attentive to detail which is important when a nurse has to observe patients for abnormal health changes. Even a slight change can point to a larger health
Coming into the nursing program, I was hopeful and looking forward to the new career. I have had issues, and it has taken me longer than expected to complete the program. I think because of this my strengths and areas of growth have changed. Per Strengths Quest my top strengths are ideation, connectedness, and individualization, strategic, and deliberative. I think the areas that will help me most as a nurse are ideation, individualization, and strategic. Ideation has helped me to learn ideas and concepts quickly. So, I can explain them to those around me including patients. Likewise, being able to focus on the individual means I can what people need by finding the best way to act that out. It particularly helps in the areas of educating, and advocating for the patient, as many procedures and protocols will be the same. Also, being strategic will help me get things done efficiently. As I get more experience as a nurse I can use this to consider new ways to improve the working environment for those around me as well.
I am the first one in my family to go to college, I have been living my life showing respect to others with one basic principle to “always do my best no matter what it takes to be fair, honest and be responsive to everyone’s needs”. I learned through my career to be dependable, self-confident, humble, and honest and show respect and a positive attitude at all time. People that I interact with always told me that I have the ability to inspire others and the makeup of a leader. Being humble, caring, and compassionate are among my personal values. I know that my greatest strengths rely in the way I treat my patients, showing empathy, sympathy, patience and professionalism. I learned that developing a trustworthy patient/nurses relationship is very important in the management of patients care. I personally believe that a nurse needs to have high integrity and to continue to strive to stay up-to-date and knowledgeable to be able to provide utmost quality care to the patients.
Healthcare is the fastest-growing industry in America, because health affects every facet of all Americans’ lives. People are living longer and longer than before. The lengthier life expectancy is due to advancements in the science and delivery of healthcare. Health communication has been an essential aspect of the delivery of healthcare. Also, health communication makes an impact and influence on healthcare policy and political initiatives, therefore, affects the health and lives of the people. Thus, it is important to understand the health communication’s overview, planning processes, techniques, and methods that affect and influence healthcare policy and political initiatives.
I believe that nursing should be a holistic approach, dealing with a patient’s body, mind, and soul. It is definitely a physically demanding job, but equally as important is the demand for emotional commitment. My past academic performance, as well as my personal qualities, provides the foundation for my career. A core characteristic of a successful nurse is teamwork and the ability to act as the liaison between the patients and the other members of the patients’ care teams. Besides working well in a team, it is also important to seek out help when necessary. Another vital quality is culture competency. Prosperous nurses understand diversity, and embrace and honor, rather than judge or ignore, what makes people different. Furthermore, critical thinking skills allow nurses to recognize possible patient problems. The intellectually disciplined process enables the nurses to respond to the constant changes and needs of a patient in their charge. Lastly, the nurse’s role has a zero tolerance for error where the smallest mistake may result in a life-threatening event. To ensure patient safety, it is critical to pay attention to detail and use caution no matter how stressed or overwhelmed a person might feel. These are the core qualities that I hope to attain as a registered nurse and important goals to adhere to for as long as I’m in this