Reflective Essay on Communication

Whilst on shift one day I needed to ask my key resident Mr H what clothes he wanted to wear for that day. Mr H is very hard of hearing but refuses to wear a hearing aid as he states they make his ears sore. Mr H has no speech difficulties.

This is a reflective essay based on my experience in communicating in a group setting and the importance of communication in my future role as a mental health nurse. The reason for choosing communication is because throughout my three years of studying it will be a recurring skill that I will require in order competent and confident in delivering the best care to the patients, carers and their families. In this essay I will be using Gibbs (1988), to assist me to reflect in a clear way, to challenge my assumptions, explore new ideas, and promote self-improvement and link practice and theories. I will conclude the essay with an action plan concentrating more on the areas needed for improvement. According to David Boud., RoseMary Keogh R & David Walker "Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull over and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning’. Reflective practice is a tool to help nurses identify what they know well and where their skills gaps are. Reflective practice is a requirement of my registration with ????? and NMC standards.

This assignment is a reflective account on communicating with a patient who cannot communicate verbally. To remain confidential I will call the patient, Patient A. I’m going to discuss the importance of non-verbal communication within a healthcare setting. Patient A was a 63 year old lady suffering from MND which resulted in her losing her speech.

Communication is very important in order to express needs and emotions. There are two types of communication, verbal and non-verbal, both of which are important in understanding and supporting someone.

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.

In nursing practice, communication is essential, and good communication skills are paramount in the development of a therapeutic nurse/patient relationship. This aim of this essay is to discuss the importance of communication in nursing, demonstrating how effective communication facilitates a therapeutic

McCabe C. (2004) Nurse-patient communication: an exploration of patients’ experiences. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 13, 41-49.

Therapeutic communication is seen as a complex skill that involves much subtlety and requires a range of different approaches (Jones, 2009). The importance of therapeutic communication and professional relationships with patients as a prime means of attaining healthcare treatment found to be the underlying theme in interpersonal relationships ( Arnold and Boggs, 2011). Therapeutic communication can create a nurse-patient relationship that enhances choice and responsibility, improves patient input and cooperation and thereby maximizes care outcomes (Rosenberg and Gallo-Silver, 2011). By integrating knowledge with compassion, the skill of therapeutic communication is regarded as the nurse’s greatest asset in reducing stresses and establishing a bond (Rosenberg and Gallo-Silver, 2011). Therefore, person-centred communication is regarded as the mandatory fundamentals in health professions (O’Toole, 2012). Attaining person-centred communication is often challenging and it is essentially required in health professions (O’Toole, 2012). One of the important basis for patient-centred communication is the effective listening (O’Toole, 2012). This essay briefly explains the various components of active listening skills that enhance therapeutic communication. Finally this essay concludes with a self-assessment of the current knowledge and skills that the author possess, followed by a development plan that shows the goals and strategies that can be used to improve author’s active

As a nurse, communication is an essential and important factor to building a therapeutic relationship between a nurse and patient as it is the difference between average and excellent nursing care, as it helps maintain a good quality of life and allows nurses’ and patients to interact and provide comfort when needed. The importance of good communication can become apparent with patients especially when they are in the hospital, as it helps the nurses build a positive relationship with patients and helps overcome barriers including physical, psychological and social. A therapeutic relationship is built on many factors which include both verbal and non-verbal communication which helps maintains the relationship and strengthens it due to the positive impact it has not only on the patient’s experience but also the nurse’s.

A nurse-patient relationship is the basic requirements in all practice settings. Its usage is to manage communication between an organization and a public while maintaining boundaries in the therapeutic relationship. Based on Peplau’s interpersonal theory, communication takes place in a nurse-client relationship where therapeutic process occurs involving complex factors such as environment, attitudes, practices, and beliefs in the dominant culture (seu.edu, 2015). The actions of each person in a nurse-patient relationship is measured on the collaboration of their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Nurse’s work to attain, maintain, and restore the patient’s health until patient have fulfilled the health care needs. Patient must be guided and provided a well-respected environment until a better health and specific needs are fully considered in the relationship. In this kind of setting, nurse’s must create relationship with patients by communicating receptivity, assimilating the concepts of empathy, trust, genuineness, respect, and confidentiality into their interactions.

TO: Alison Allen, Human Resources Director; Cary Hasler, Marketing/Advertising Director; Joseph Earl, Customer Service Director; Elizabeth Hope-Earl, Client Account Director

In summary, professional communication is a very core for the therapeutic relationship. In detail, knowing how to create a successful communication will show the sincere intention of the nurse to patients’ concern because they are not only sufficient to assist patients’ data but also convey the message that patient can trust then accept. Therefore, choosing to be a nurse means increasing interpersonal communication knowledge and skills. Nurses should always remember this as a basic qualified standard to reflect of how they sympathize with

Everyone has a certain skill that they may be strong or weak at in both school or in work. There are skills required in order to create an efficient working environment. However, every person generally has a flaw or a skill that they are efficient in, which may reflect their career readiness. Despite everyone's flaw, throughout our life, we can be able to improve through experience. As for myself, I consider myself confident in managing multiple task and valuing work, but I need to improve my communication skills.

These situations could include patients who are dissociative and reclusive, patients who are from different multicultural backgrounds, and those who are just unwilling to communicate with the nurse. Being able to utilise rapport building and empathy is important with these types of patients. Moreover, using 3rd person skills such as using appropriate language for that situation and using communication that meets the needs of those involved is vital as well for this role as well. The skills mentioned before and the ability to apply them to these situations would greatly benefit the nurse and the patient by building trust and professional relationships. These themes will be further examined later n the essay.

Therapeutic Communication has a huge impact on patients, whether, we, as nurses, see it or not. It is very important for a nurse to gain a patient’s trust. Many patients are already filled with sadness, nervousness and unsure thoughts of their current situation. Such thoughts may make a person scared to trust or open up to a nurse or doctor. Developing a close rapport with a patient can help to create a safe, warming environment, resulting in a positive experience throughout their time in the hospital or even nursing home. In “Therapeutic Communication”, Anna Lauria opens saying, “What we say or do not say can influence whether a client is able to quiet his mind, relax his body and initiate a healing response” (Lauria). Being a nurse, we automatically have the opportunity to create a strong influence on patients’ lives during, and even after, their hospital experience.