Nurses have a great opportunity to shape the future of the nursing practice through therapeutic communication Armold&Boggs, (2011). While nursing is fundamentally about communicating care and care is at the heart of the nurse client relationship, many problems still remain in the clinical area due to a lack of effective communication. This is supported by Crawford,( 1998).Communication is a key skill of modern nursing practice. Therapeutic Communication is one of the most valuable tools that nurses have to build good interpersonal relationship or trust. I felt the need to develop therapeutic relationship with the patients so that they could feel they could put their trust in me ,also that I was there to listen and talk to them not just care for them.Cutcliff and Mckenna (2005) states that you can gain comfort from drawing on your interpersonal skills, having strength and endurance, feeling self confident , having sufficient competence,beingpeace and ease with oneself and also having a sense of being valued and useful.
The traditional approach includes collecting subject matter on “biographical data, present health concerns (or present illness) and the chief complaint, past history, family history, review of system and patient data” (Farrell & Dempsey, 2010, p. 74). The assessment interview builds the foundation of the nurse and patient relationship. Building good rapport with the patient will alleviate any stress, anxiety or discomfort the patient may be feeling. The patient will be asked personal questions and at times may not understand or may not want to divulge information about their personal life/situation. As a nurse being open and honest, explaining why this type of information is necessary and asking open-ended questions will help prompt the patient to disclose the facts required, expedite the process and be fundamental in performing a successful assessment (Springhouse, 2004).
If we have good communication skill we can easily handle such kinds of difficult situation. The communication in health care profession include “Useful things to remember in having good communication include being prepared to know what you are going to say; having the right information to hand for when patients ask questions; maintaining eye contact and observing the patient’s body language; listening properly; picking up on the non-verbal signs as well as the verbal ones; avoiding the use of medical jargon; and in cases of breaking bad news, being prepared emotionally, trying to find the right environment, and being sensitive, honest and compassionate.” (NursingTimes.net 2007) Communication skills we use in health care profession include skills such as listening, hearing (understanding the message), talking (verbal communication), body language (nonverbal communication), writing and showing professional courtesy with a professional attitude at all times. Inadequate communication skills of healthcare providers can result in, decreased patient adherence to physician plan, poor
| Patient Confidentiality | Introduction to Nursing | | Patient Confidentiality This essay will define confidentiality, when patient confidentiality applies, the importance of patient confidentiality and how to promote confidentiality. It will further look at the main legislation governing patient confidentiality (HIPAA) and when the patient confidentiality can be breached. Patient Confidentiality is very important for a number of reasons and what I feel is the most important of them all is that it improves the nurse – patient relationship. If a patient is aware of how well his or her nurse is committed to protecting their privacy, it builds trust and respect. The trust and respect between the patient and nurse will increase.
Verbal communication is either done face to face or on the telephone. Non-verbal communication is done through body language, hand gestures and movements; which takes up to 80% of communication. (Wadsworth, 2009). If you are unable to communicate in a good manner with a patient this could damage the relationship between the two and result in the patient unable to have a level of trust with the nurse. The purpose of this essay is to explore the importance good communication skills has within the nursing profession.
How communication is so important in a health and social care environment Communication is vital when working in a health and social care environment, verbally or non- verbally. It is needed so that the carer (nurse, social worker) can give the best possible support or help to the patient. Good communication skills can gain positive relationships and also put the patient at ease as they will feel they can start to trust you which help them to relax and communicate back with you. This can then help to get a bigger picture of the patient's background and enable you to understand their needs. Sometimes it may not be as simple as just talking to a patient, it maybe there deaf or blind, if this was to be the case it is very important for to you finds the right way to communicate with them, for simple reasons such as an emergency.
“This article provides the reader with a framework in which to take a full and comprehensive history from a patient” as stated by (Lloyd & Craig, 2007, p. 42). Several skills the nurse needs to possess is good communication, not making the patient fell intimidated or hurried, proper environment, and performing the history process in a sequential order. The first thing the nurse must do is prepare the environment for the history taking process. This area needs to be a neutral place that the patient is comfortable, safe, and free of interruptions. (Lloyd & Craig, 2007, p. 42) stated, “It is essential to allow sufficient time to complete the history.
The techniques to establish a warm and mutual nurse-client relationship are vital to understand and needless to say important in practice in order to come up with healthy and quality outcome for the patient as well as the nurse. Caring moment. “A caring occasion is the moment when the nurse and another person come together in such a way that an occasion for human caring is created. Both persons, with their unique phenomenal fields, have the possibility to come together in a human-to-human transaction” (Watson, 1988). The caring moment can be influenced by the actions and choices made by both the one being cared for and the one caring.
Once the nurse has began establishing a relationship with their patient, they must be careful to not pass or show any judgment on a patient’s decisions, beliefs, values, or culture. The professional nurse should demonstrate sensitivity to diverse cultural needs and ethnic backgrounds. Having an open mind is always necessary when dealing with such a wide array of people in the public as a nurse would be. Because healthcare is a continually expanding field, a professional nurse should be willing to stay up to date with continuing education or seminars, learning new and better ways to provide the best care possible for patients. The nurse should reflect a high degree of professionalism to patients, the public, and other professionals.
The conversation with patients and families tells much about the way they feel. As a health care provider, treating patients and families with empathy, listening, and respect enhances clinician-patient relationship. The health care provider must communicate with patients and their significant others about medical conditions, needed tests, explaining their medication actions, and possible side effects. The nurse must communicate effectively by using clear terms and avoiding medical jargons that could