Personal and Professional Health Care Communication

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Personal and Professional Health Care Communication Good communication is important to any successful relationship. Communication skills are important in at least two important ways. First, effective communication enhances the ability for people to understand each other. Second, effective communication helps people to work through the any issues they may be having. Poor communication can cause misunderstandings and conflicts. By using effective communication the number of misunderstandings and conflicts can be reduced. Communication is any process in which a message containing information is transferred from one person to another. Communication can be verbal, nonverbal, or written. The area of health communication is a subset of communication that can be extensive and diverse (Mahon & Nicotera, 2011). Basically, health communication could be defined as the use of communication theory to the health care setting. In health care communication, specific health-related issues are emphasized (Northouse & Northouse, 1998). Proficient health communication focuses on critical communication skills, which involves self-awareness, conflict management, advocacy, dialogue, and active listening. In health care different relationships are developed. These relationships are built on trust and respect. Some of the relationships included in the health care system are physician to nurse, physician to patient, nurse to patient, and nurse to nurse communications. Each of these relationships collaborates differently together for a beneficial health care outcome for the patient. For instance how a physician explains his plan of care to a patient may differ from the way he or she explains it to the nurse. When speaking with the patient the physician must take into consideration the patient’s health literacy (the ability to understand health information). He should choose his wording
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