Read Me First Wk1

Read Me First HCA/230

Week One

INTRODUCTION
This week’s material introduces you to the basics of communication, including the elements involved in the communication process and understanding the roles of the listener and the receiver.

As you peruse the readings, focus on the basics of communication, including the various roles, the channels, and the importance of the message. Clear and effective communication is essential to any business, and health care is no exception. Miscommunication may lead to errors in patient care.

How can you be sure you are sending the correct message? What can you do to improve your communication style?

This week’s topic, the communication process, provides the focus for the remainder of the course.
IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE COURSE AND THE PROGRAM
How does communication affect your personal and professional success? Effective communication is critical to all disciplines, and it occurs in a variety of contexts and at different levels.

Often, the message one sends is not received or perceived as intended. Many factors affect communication, and it is essential to increase awareness of potential barriers and methods to improve effective communication.
HINTS FOR A READING STRATEGY OF THE ASSIGNED MATERIALS
This course explores communication and how it affects the health care setting. As you begin your reading, identify the key components of communication and analyze how they affect the quality of interpersonal relationships.

Perception is often overlooked in everyday conversations with others. How do prior knowledge and experiences, feelings, and emotions influence perception? Review the tools you can use to sharpen your perception skill. Challenge yourself to use these resources in everyday life and to improve your communication with others.

This week’s Electronic Reserve Readings share some tips for meeting and maintaining effective communication in the health care arena. Miscommunication or poor communication can often lead to errors in the workplace. Emphasis is placed on safe, effective, and high-quality dialogue between patient and caregiver.

Review the resources found at the end of each chapter. There are some useful tools and activities to supplement your learning experience.
SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK AS YOU HONE YOUR CRITICAL THINKING
As you read your material this week, consider the following questions:
How do you implement the major components of communication in everyday life?
Can you suggest ways to improve the role of perception in communication?
How do the five communication principles influence interpersonal relationships?
Can you suggest ways to overcome different barriers that interfere with your communication? How does medical language influence communication in the health care field?
How does technology affect communication in the health care field?
SUMMARY
Effective communication is an essential key to healthy relationships, whether personal or professional. As you evaluate your communication style in the health care industry, it is essential to continually evaluate and improve your communication strategies.

As you progress through this course, you learn about the elements of cross-cultural communication, collaborative communication, the effects of language, interpersonal relationship skills, conflict resolution, and teamwork. You have an opportunity to apply these principles to realistic and common scenarios that are often encountered in the health care field.