COMMUNICATION in Nursing

Concepts of Nursing NUR 123

COMMUNICATION

The sending and receiving of a message.

Aspects of Communication (i)

Sender - the one who conveys the message to another person.

Message - the thought, idea, or emotion conveyed.

Channel - how the message is sent.

Aspects of Communication (ii)

Receiver - physiological/ psychological components.

Feedback - the receiver’s response to the sender.

Influences - Culture, education, emotions and other factors involved.

Methods of Communication

Verbal - Speaking, Listening, Writing, Reading.

Nonverbal - Gestures, Facial Expressions, Posture and Gait, Tone of Voice, Touch, Eye Contact, Body Position, Physical Appearance.

Influences on Communication

Age

Education

Emotions

Culture

Language

Attention

Surroundings

Congruency of Messages

Verbal and nonverbal communication must be congruent, or in agreement.

Listening and Observing

Listening and observing are two of the most valuable skills a nurse can have.

These two skills are used to gather the subjective and objective data for the nursing assessment.

Active Listening

The process of hearing spoken words and noting nonverbal behavior.

Active listening takes energy and concentration.

Therapeutic Communication

Sometimes called effective communication, it is purposeful and goal-oriented, creating a beneficial outcome for the client.

Goals of Therapeutic Communication

To obtain or provide information

To develop trust

To show caring

To explore feelings

Enhancing Communication

Self-Disclosure.

Caring.

Genuineness.

Warmth.

Active Listening.

Empathy (the capacity to understand another’s feelings).

Acceptance and respect.

Communication Techniques

Clarifying/validating.

Asking open questions.

Using indirect statements.

Paraphrasing.

Summarizing.

Focusing.

Barriers Communication

Closed questions.

False reassurance.

Judgmental responses.

Defensive reflex.

Changing the subject.

Nurse-Client Communication

Almost every nurse-client interaction should involve therapeutic communication.

Nurse-client communication is influenced by both the nurse and the client.

Three Phases of Nurse-Client Communication

Introduction: Fairly short; expectations clarified; mutual goals set

Working: Major portion of the interaction; used to accomplish goals outlined in introduction; feedback from client essential.

Termination: Nurse asks if client has questions; summarizing the topic is another way to indicate closure.

Determinant Factors in Communication

A nurse’s communication is affected by: Past Experience State of Health Home Situation Workload Staff Relations

Determinant Factors in Communication

A client’s communication is affected by: Social Factors Religion Family Situation Level of Consciousness Stage of Illness Visual, Hearing and Speech Ability Language Proficiency