Improving Communication Skills
How does understanding the many aspects of a patient's illness (including effect on the patient's lifestyle, work, and family) allow medical assistants to provide better patient care?
As a medical assistant (MA), our primary goal is to obtain accurate and pertinent information about the patient. To be successful means we need to understand that good communication is vital and we need to know how to use effective listening skills. It is important as an MA to understand the illness or chronic condition so that we are able to help the patient have an understanding of what to expect. Before rooming a patient, we need to be familiar with the medical and family/social history of that patient. Knowing about the patient will help to assess what the patient may need. A key to assisting a patient is to help them become informed, pro-active patients. The patient who is involved in their own care often make healthier decisions so that there are better outcomes. A patient who has been diagnosed with an illness or a chronic condition, will often have to alter their goals, lifestyle and employment. By understanding what the patient needs, we will be able to provide the care they need.
What can medical assistants do to improve their communication skills with the patient?
Good communication skills can improve the patient’s compliance and overall satisfaction by listening, showing empathy and paying attention to what the patient is saying.
Effective
When a new resident is admitted, their family provides a history of the resident’s life: their loves, their fears, and their tragedies. As a physician assistant collects and analyzes the medical history and symptoms of a patient with an undiagnosed illness, I analyze the personal histories of the residents at my facility so that I am able to understand the best way to care for them. As a physician assistant collaborates with their supervising physician to provide high quality healthcare to patients, I collaborate with the director of nursing and the other nursing assistants at my facility to improve our residents’ quality of life. As a physician assistant is trusted by their patients and their supervising physician, I am trusted by the families of the residents I care for as their loved ones adjust to life as it changes with the loss of their memory.
Communication is usually taken for granted in our every day to day living as we use it without thought. Good communication skills are needed in the workplace and especially with nursing staff to and from patients when giving first hand care. Good or bad communication can make there experience within the health care setting a positive or negative one and can leave a lasting impression. A good health care provider can use there communication skills to put a patient at ease with a few comforting words or gestures, a lack of positive communication in the health care setting could leave the patient feeling neglected, ignored and not valued as a patient.
Over the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to experience some of the best and most difficult times of being a medical assistant. I have had hands on experience with patients of all different ages, races, religions, and personalities. These last few weeks have not only taught me patience, acceptance and boundaries of others, but I was able to learn more about myself as well. My externship experience has opened my eyes to the realities of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, physically and mentally, as well as the importance of family and friends. DePaul Medical Center and In Faith Psychological Services were the best locations I could have chosen for my first look into the life of a medical assistant.
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During my placement, I also developed good communication skills. I learned how to communicate effectively with clients to enable the provision of health care. When addressing clients, I avoided the use of difficult medical terms and opted for simpler words that were easily understood by all. I also used a variety of efficient communication methods such as allowing clients to express themselves, providing sufficient time for discussion and maintaining eye contact with clients. And to those clients that did not understand English, I sought the assistance of a trusted
Every year, an estimate of 5.9 million people dies from disease (World Health Organization, 2016). Some of these diseases are caused by bacteria, parasites, virus, trauma, mutations, and environment. Although these diseases can cause death and injury, in many cases, they can be treated by a specialist called a physician. A physician is a person who is qualified to practice medicine. Often, these medical specialists need help in treating large numbers of patients in need of care. In the 1960s, the physician assistant (PA) profession was created.in 1965, there was a noticeable shortage of physicians. Eugene A. Stead Jr., MD, of the Duke University Medical Center assembled the first class to take on the role as physician assistants. These men received medical training in fast track manner to what a physician might learn (Academic Academy of Physician Assistants Organization, 2014).The duties of a physician assistant are similar to what a physician may carry out but differ in some ways. Today, the physician assistant profession is a growing field, but more difficult to achieve. Recently, there has been an increase in the amount of school time and pre requisites to be accepted into a physician assistant graduate program. Specialization of a particular field is even more difficult to achieve. In addition, work environments can be often challenging. However, high salaries and benefits of working in the medical field give reward to the employee.
You’d never think growing up a very sick dad and worried mom would have a made such a positive impact on my life. But in my case, it is the main reason why I have chosen to become a physician’s assistant (PA). In the beginning stages, I was too young to really understand the importance of the doctors and medical staff that worked countless hours to make this medical miracle happen, but as time went on, I began to comprehend the role of the people who were trying to save my dad’s life so he could watch his girls grow up. Seeing a multidisciplinary team of physicians, social workers, and dieticians work so well together to solve a problem made a lasting impression on me. I watched as they spent countless hours analyzing the numbers and evaluating my dad’s physical condition to solve the problem. Working so tirelessly showed how passionate and dedicated the team was. I can 't accredit a single person in that group of medical specialists that inspired me to be to become a physician assistant because each and every one of them played a tremendous role in my journey. I desire to become a PA so that
There may also be medical assistants who do not present themselves with a positive attitude, due to the long and demanding workdays that they may have. Although these situations affect all individuals in the healthcare field, it is critical that medical assistants stay upbeat and have a smile on their face at all times. This ensures the patient that they will be taken care of in good hands, and eliminates any worries that they may have. Medical assistants that have a positive mentality are not only able to provide excellent patient care, but are also very efficient communicators. Medical assistants must be able to explain procedures, simplify the words of a doctor, and teach patients how to properly care for themselves on their own or at home. In addition to having an optimistic mind, workers must be able to leave their troubles and personal concerns at home. Once at work, it is a medical assistants job to provide their patient with an environment that is comfortable and stress-free. If the majority of medical assistants are able to present themselves in an enjoyable manner, professionalism will be met, and the needs of all patients will be taken care
This essay will highlight one of the key concepts of nursing .The concept that will be discussed in this essay will be communication, the reason for this chosen concept is that communication plays a vital role in everyday occurrences which defines how a situation is perceived by yourself, others and how communication is effectively handled . There will be a definition on what communication is also an evaluation of the chosen concept will be explored throughout this essay.
The great thing about this profession is that everyday and every patient is going to be different with the services they may need. As a Medical Assistant I have an opportunity to work in various settings, such as hospitals, clinics and family practices and more. I am needed in providing a positive atmosphere, with the use of performing routine tasks such as obtaining vital signs, collecting specimens for lab testing, performing an EKG, and recording medical information.
I believe that through medicine I would be able to put other people’s needs before my own, and continue caring and making a difference in people’s lives. As a newly certified nurse aide (CNA), I have been able to begin this journey. As a CNA, I get to leave work knowing that I directly made an impact on someone else’s life. Not only has becoming a CNA changed my patient’s lives but it has also changed mine for the better. They give me the opportunity to constantly challenge myself, build relationships with them, and develop new skills. In the time that I have been a CNA I have had the opportunity to develop many different qualities including: adaptability, compassion, emotional stability, patience, and problem-solving skills. Each of these skills I find to be important qualities that every PA should
According to Engel (2000), Kamien explains that “the task of general practice should go well beyond simply dealing with a patient’s presenting complaint” (p.4). The same explanation applies to adapting to change as a medical assistant in the sense that I should be able to listen and adapt to each patient’s needs that I come in contact with. Being able to adapt to change is a plus because as a medical assistant I will be dealing with new equipment, new procedures, and different co-workers that might be able to show me better ways to treat the patient’s complaints. As a medical assistant, being able to adapt to change goes hand and hand. I would have to be able to adjust to the problems that each person
Communication plays a vital role in the healthcare setting, as the relationship with the healthcare professional sets the tone of the care experience and has a powerful impact on patient satisfaction. It is “the shared process in which messages are sent and received between two or more people which are made up of a sender, receiver, and message in a particular context” (cite, date). This essay highlights the importance of, and some common barriers to, effective communication in the healthcare setting. It involves many interpersonal skills such as effective observation, questioning and listening, giving feedback, recognizing and removing barriers.
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.
In nursing, effective communication plays a key role in patient-focused communication between health professionals and patients. This is because nursing is essentially an interaction between health professionals and patients where communications happens at all times. Nurses who communicate well are able to put patients at ease, which leads to patients sharing information regarding their feelings and experiences, which can help healthcare professionals improve their outcomes. Good communication also allows nurses to deliver care that is unique to each patient. Once a patient tells the nurse about his fears and symptoms, the nurse can record that information and work towards a diagnosis. Ultimately, to be a successful nurse, excellent communication skills are required. The ability to communicate and connect with patients and health care professionals can help build relationships, prevent mistakes and provide a higher level of care.