Apply Effective Communication In Nursing

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APPLY EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN NURSING
Nurses communicate on a variety of levels, using a range of channels, in the clinical environment with patients, their relatives and significant others as well as multi-disciplinary health care staff to deliver optimal health care commonly using interpersonal, small-group and organizational communication. During nursing communication different strategies are employed to verbally and non-verbally send and receive information to effectively deliver healthcare, convey empathy, follow policies, procedures and standards relating to communication and to encourage the therapeutic relationship. (Funnell, Koutoukidis & Lawrence 2009, pp. 446 - 447)

Nurses need to be skilled and possess self-awareness in order to create effective therapeutic relationships with patients from a diverse range of backgrounds. Additionally, nurses must be factual, descriptive and contemporaneous in communications of patient information with colleagues. In all areas of communication in clinical environments nurses must be familiar with, and communicate in accordance with the subscribed standards of practice, as well as comply with legislation in order to prevent ineffective communication as well as the legal implications of non-compliance. (Timmins 2011, pp. 30-33)

Primarily nurses communicate with colleagues verbally and through patient documentation such as nursing care plans, flow charts, progress notes, consent forms, medication records and handover sheets. When inputting information on patient documents and records, nurses must be factual but brief, accurate, objective and descriptive in order to communicate effectively with the rest of the healthcare team therefore facilitating continuity of care. Without exception, every action and interaction regarding patient care and treatment must be communicated to the relevant healthcare team

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