Effective Communication In Nursing

Introduction.

Communication is a necessary skill to have in the nursing profession. We use communication to exchange information between patients, co-workers and all the people around us (Kozier et Erb 2004). No matter the form of communication we are constantly presenting and interpreting people 's ideas and thoughts. Communication is a method we utilize to connect the gap between knowledge and comprehension (Kozier et Erb 2004).This paper will discuss an observation of the personal care home environment, modes of communication such as; verbal and non-verbal, effective communication methods and barriers to communications.

Observation Of Personal Care Home Environment.

I visited an urban personal care home in the inner city. I will be identifying
Here is a summary of some effective communication strategies that I have observed at PCH "X":

*Health care workers appeared to be neat and tidy wearing uniforms. This will convey a non-verbal communication method of professionalism. Clothing and apparel can be a source of information about a person (Kozier et Erb 2004).

*A staff member asked a resident how their lunch tasted. The staff member paraphrased what the client was saying and reinstated the resident 's feelings. This showed the resident that the staff member was actively listening (Kozier et Erb 2004).

*Health care workers seemed interested in what clients had to say and differentiated the real from unreal (Kozier et Erb 2004). Health care workers talked to residents about daily activities. One client stated "I have to go to work; my daughter will be picking me up soon". The nurse responded "your daughter will be here to visit but you are retired and you do not have to work anymore."

These are a few effective communication strategies I have witnessed at PCH "X". Communication promotes understanding and can build a constructive relationship with clients and co-workers. As nurses we must be aware of what we say and how we act towards
This particular personal care home was very respectful to clients. However, here are some barriers to communication I observed when I was at PCH "X":

*One resident had a language deficit and had difficulty speaking. The resident was calling out and it seemed as though she wanted something. It was difficult for the staff member to understand what she was saying. He overcame this barrier by asking her yes and no questions until he finally solved what she was trying to say.

*Residents were being talked to like children. The clients were often referred to as "dear, sweetheart, or darling". During lunch, I also overhead someone saying "we have to change you diaper you made a pooh-pooh". This may demean a client however; this communication barrier can be resolved by calling residents by their name and by respecting their dignity as a person.

*Residents can also be hard of hearing. A nurse was talking to a resident with his back turned asking him questions and he did not reply back. She continued to speak louder and the resident later asked why she was yelling. The nurse should have faced the client while speaking to him so he could realize that he was being spoken