Reflective Essay On The Role Of Communication In Nursing

The different reason people communicate is to show pain, anger, joy, love etc. It is important for people communicate so their views, wishes and information gets across. The communication could be formal or informal. Documentation and record keeping is important in the social care sector as this information may be used for legal reasons. All communications is confidential and are on a “need to know” basis. Communication between colleagues and other healthcare professionals is essential, as it ensures continuity of care. It also shows staff are aware of the current needs of the client.

Communication is one of the basic survival skills of human and also a fundamental part of nursing. Effective communication would help to promote a positive nurse-client relationship which is crucial for the delivery of quality nursing care (Sheppard, 1993; McCabe 2003).

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.

Communication is incredibly important, it underpins any professional relationship with a patient. In any given specialty there is a need for good communication and there is an increasing emphasis placed on communication skills during undergraduate training programmes (both medical and nursing) however it is especially important within palliative medicine where patients are going through massive life changing events, often facing frightening times ahead in their not distant futures. Patients will have their own thoughts and agendas when entering a consultation and it is important to illicit what this is and to establish their own ideas, concerns and expectations as well as considering how much information they would like to receive from the professional.

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.

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.

In this assignment I will be looking at the different types of communication which are used in care settings and the factors that support and inhibit communication.

Communication is life long learning skills for nurses. Communication can be in different forms. It can be verbal or non verbal. Communication is important

Analysing the skills that I have gained, it is required as a nurse to keep the best interest of the patient and provide person-centered care (NMC, 2015). When a patient is admitted to hospital it is required on admission as to whether the individual would wish to be resuscitated if a cardiac arrest occurs this is part of the 12 Activities of Daily Living. I learnt that communicating clearly can provide efficient teamwork with colleague, as when in practice nurses need to work effectively

Communication is so important in a healthcare and social care setting for a number of reasons. The patient and the healthcare professional need to understand each other clearly in order for the patient to receive the best possible

The assessments of the patient in an end of life situation must occur frequently as to detect rapid and/or minimal changes in the patient’s condition. It is also the primary nurse’s role to report any and all changes to the multidisciplinary team, including the family members.

Communication is any form of expressing and receiving of messages between individuals. The importance of Communication in the nursing profession is to maintain high quality care for the patient but also maintain effective collaboration between professionals. Boykins, D (2014) states that the “registered nurse is expected to communicate in various formats and in all areas of practice”. Various formats include speaking to patients and coworkers as well as utilizing appropriate protocols and systems to effectively communicate regards to patient’s status.

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.

There are several of communication techniques used in health and social care settings. Effective communication is essential to provide quality care service to service user.

Nurses must assess a patient’s communication needs with respect to their age, gender, culture, developmental status and be able to modify their care related to these needs. This also is a consideration when communicating with those around us daily.