Interpersonal Communication In Healthcare

Communication is essential within healthcare as the transmission of information is vital to the health outcomes of the clients. Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face to face communication. Throughout this essay the author will explore and discuss the factors that affect interpersonal communication and clarify these with examples in which they consider to be essential to achieve Competency 9 in ANMAC National Competency Standards (2006). Exploration of how to maintain professional standards to ensure quality of care for patients/clients and how to care for self and peers in regards to inter-professional collaboration. It will also
Patient centred care is an approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that is grounded in mutually beneficial partnerships among healthcare providers, patients and families. This allows the patient to be and feel involved and contribute to the decisions being made about their healthcare. Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions. Active listening is an essential skill when communicating with either fellow healthcare professionals or patients and their families. When nurses listen actively they attend to the person, hear what is being said and communicate that they have heard the person's message. Active listening includes verbal and non-verbal techniques and is probably the most important communication technique in nursing. It is important to have an awareness of different environments that can affect communication (Ajjawi, McAllister, and Higgs, 2012, pp.136). Some environments may feel cosy and relaxing, being in environments like this makes it easier for people to open up as they feel comfortable with the space that they are in. However, if an environment is daunting, smelly or cluttered they may be more reluctant to share any information. The use of a private room – such as a consultation room for discussion of personal information is important although it may not achieve personal disclosure if
This Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses sets the minimum standards for practice a professional person is expected to uphold both within and outside of professional domains in order to ensure the ‘good standing’ of the nursing profession. These two companion Codes, together with other published practice standards (e.g. competency standards, decision-making frameworks, guidelines and position statements), provide a framework for legally and professionally accountable and responsible nursing practice in all clinical, management, education and research domains. If the Code of Conduct is breached it may result into disciplinary action A breach of the Code may constitute either professional misconduct or unprofessional conduct. For the purposes of this Code, professional misconduct refers to ‘the wrong, bad or erroneous conduct of a nurse outside of the domain of his or her practice; conduct unbefitting a nurse’ e.g. sexual assault, theft, or drunk and disorderly conduct in a public place. Unprofessional conduct refers to ‘conduct that is contrary to the accepted and agreed practice standards of the profession’ e.g. breaching the principles of asepsis; violating confidentiality in the relationship between persons receiving care and nurses. The nursing profession expects nurses will conduct themselves personally and professionally in a way that maintains public