Why is it important to communicate effectively? As nurses, it is our job to reassure and provide precise and correct information to our patients and their relatives.
We need to be able to know how to communicate in relation to the circumstances. To be sure we are communicating in the most appropriate way possible we need to be aware of what we are dealing with first.
If we know the circumstances in which we are dealing with we have a better chance of delivering our message effectively.
There are different forms of communicating with people, some are-
Oral
Touch
Signing
Objects of reference
Written
Music and drama
Good communication skills are required to carry out your responsibilities as health care professionals. For example if you are working with an individual who has dementia, there can be many difficulties, especially when the disease progresses, that we need to be aware of.
Oral communication is communicating by word of mouth. It is the most commonly used form of communication as we use it in our day to day lives on a regular basis.
As nurses, we have to deliver messages to our patients effectively and so that they fully understand what is being said.
Oral communication is used best when you need to get across information quickly, also the patient is able to reply and ask questions, for example if the patient doesn’t understand a procedure you’re explaining to them, you are able to clarify it for them.
Touch is a form of communication where you make physical contact with the person. Touch is often used to convey the feeling of care.
This is effective because it shows that we as nurses have the patients’ best interests at heart. However we have to make sure that physical contact is appropriate for the situation.
For example if a patient was upset due to positive test results for a serious disease or suchlike, you would comfort them by putting your arm around them or if you were meeting a new