Communication Skills Reflection Paper

This is essay is going to be based on the importance of communication within the broader context of health and social care, it will give you a definitive insight to different communication techniques, such as verbal and non-verbal communication. Within this essay I will also discuss how important effective communication can be and the barriers that can restrict the care practitioner from doing his/her job effectively by using communication as the main tool. Furthermore how personal beliefs and values need to be taken in to consideration and the effect it may have on a service user in the light of working professionally.

2.1 It is self-evident that communication and interpersonal skills are crucial in the workplace. Good two-way communication is important to enable the flow of information in an effective way whether it be verbal or non-verbal. Good communication has a positive impact on the performance of the team including; everyone is clear what is expected from them, they receive good feedback and recognition of achievements which makes staff feel valued and boosts employee morale. The manager needs to be approachable and have a non-threatening manner so

The communication cycle is a commonly used theory of communication. It was first developed by Charles Berner in 1965; it was then modified by Michael Argyle, who was a social psychologist, in 1972. The concept of a ‘communication cycle’ makes it clear that, in order to have effective communication, it must be a two way process. As well as transferring messages to others in a definite, clear way, health care professionals must be able to respond to the verbal feedback as well as the non-verbal feedback. So, effective communication has to involve effort from both participators (both the sender as well as the receiver) in the communication.

A therapeutic relationship is a key component in the nursing profession. Without therapeutic relationships, the best possible care can never be provided. The foundation in which trust is built upon is created from the nurse’s ability to truly listen and respond appropriately. Listening creates the base in developing a strong, trusting relationship. Sometimes it is simply hearing what a patient says that makes all the difference, empowering them to open up and become more comfortable with the nurse (Hawkins-Walsh, 2000).

Communication involves information being sent, received and decoded between two or more people (Balzer-Riley 2008) and involves the use of a number of communication skills; which in a nursing context generally focuses on listening and giving information to patients (Weller 2002). This process of sending and receiving messages has been described as both simple and complex (Rosengren 2000 in McCabe 2006, p.4). It is a process which is continually utilised by nurses to convey and receive information from the patient, co-workers, others they come into contact with and the patient’s family.

The ‘Communication cycle’ is a frequently used theory of communication. It was originally established by Charles Berners in 1965. In 1967, a man named Michael Argyle claimed that human communication is essentially a two-way process that involves people sending, and responding to each other’s verbal and non-verbal messages. It was then improved in 1972 by Argyle’s. The model of the ‘communication cycle’ makes it apparent that to ensure effective communication, it has to be a two-way process. As well as transmitting messages to others in a precise way, health care professions must be able to react to both verbal and non-verbal feedback. Therefore, operational communication has to involve determination from both sides in the communication cycle.

In this assignment, I am going to explain a number of these strategies aimed at improving the quality of communication in health and social care settings.

There are many differing ideas on the best way to communicate in health and social care and there are many strategies used by the many differing professionals working in health and social care. This assignment will review the different strategies used and then will evaluate the differing strategies and their effectiveness when overcoming barriers to effective communication and interpersonal interactions.

Communication is simply the act of transferring and receiving information from one person to another. We communicate for a variety of reasons such as to share information, to comment, to give instructions and to share opinions. Effective communication involves a two way process in which each person tries to understand the view point of the other person. Moreover, communication is a cycle because when two people communicate they need to check that their ideas have been understood. Good communication involves the process of checking, understanding, using reflection and active listening. Effective communication is highly important for the health and social care sector. If professionals use effective communication then it could help them to focus on fulfilling the needs of service users. There are several theories of communication that can be applied to a health and social care environment.In this assignment we will explore two theories of communication in health and social care.

Therapeutic communication aims to accentuate understanding of the client’s situations to health professionals, to achieve a greater outcome of health. It focuses on the clients need not the nurses. Pontes (2008) notes that health professionals verbally communicate with clarity and brevity

     Nursing care is based on the development of a helping relationship and the implementation and evaluation of therapeutic processes. Therapeutic process includes health promotion, education, counseling, nursing interventions and empowerment of individuals, families or groups. It helps individuals make choices in regards to their health care.

This commentary will provide a reflection of the author’s key skill competencies, particularly focusing on communication, teamwork, problem-solving, interpersonal skill. A summary of these keys skills will outline the author’s key strengths and areas for future improvement relative to either current weaknesses and or challenges.

The therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is known as a close and consistent connection approaching during patients’

In this assignment, I am going to review four cases, which will require a number of different communication skills focusing primarily on; developing a therapeutic relationship, communicating assertively, communicating effectively with an individual with a disability/impairment and communicating with individuals from another culture. I will discuss building a therapeutic relationship and effective communication with each patient.

Our ability to communicate well with others is important to personal and professional success. The interpersonal communications course is planned to help us in being familiar with the system of effective, and to assess our own interpersonal ability to sharpen our critical understanding of the communication, also to improve the interpersonal skills. Mainly assess our interpersonal skills and to put in goals for improving our communications ability. To development of self-concept and identity are examined as basics for understanding personal communication. We explore our own communication behaviors and to identify areas of personal strengths and