Relevance of Communication and Teamwork in Midwifery

Some of the important concepts related to collaboration and skilled communication that the nurse needs to understand is that collaboration is a critical competency required for effective patient-centered, quality care. It is an essential process which requires partnership, interdependence and collective ownership and responsibility. The nurse needs to understand that in order for collaboration to be effective, there must be an ongoing interactive process built on mutual trust and respect. The nurse must also understand that collaboration is a very critical component in the delivery of care that includes shared goals, an understanding of other’s roles and responsibilities, mutual respect, clear communication, openness to learning and an ability to change one’s viewpoint. And to be effective in collaboration, communication skills are crucial and staff members need to be aware of their own feelings, be able to make decisions and problem solve effectively, develop negotiating skills to be used in resolving difficult conflicts and assessment skills (Finkelman, 2012).

For good verbal communication be established, it is necessary for the midwife to engage in

Another way to be an effective communicator is listening to the client and answering any questions they may have. In an antenatal ward, the clients will have a variation of questions to ask about their unborn child, their pregnancy and complications in labour. Being an effective communicator means that the professional will be able to answer these questions confidently, reliably, and truthfully. Answering the clients’ questions will make them feel more confident and relaxed about their illness and their baby. Effective communication will also be dependent on whether the client is communicating well back.

Public health is defined by the World Health Organisation as ‘all organised measures to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole’ (WHO, 2015). Within this role of public health, the midwife has an essential role. They are in the best position to be able to guide

Midwives assist women with a majority of their reproductive needs, and midwifery is becoming more prominent in the United States. Midwives provide a variety of cares in a variety of settings. They assist women with individualized and evidence-based care; similar to nurses. Obstetric nurses and midwives preform a lot of the same skills for a pregnant or postpartum woman. It is important for nurses to recognize and respect midwifery because it is the woman’s right to choose her provider and plan of care. Obstetric nurses will possibly have to work with a midwife and support them in the hospital setting. Midwives are educated and have a scope of practice that can easily overlap with nursing practice, so

This essay is set to explore the importance of developing effective communication skills in nursing. It will give a short overview on what communication is and what it involves. Then it will explain the importance of effective communication in nursing. Furthermore, the essay will briefly present some challenges surrounding communication in nursing and suggestions on how they can be addressed before it concludes by summarising the needs for nursing students to develop effective communication skills.

Proper communication skills both written and oral help conveys accurate information to prevent medical errors and provide awareness of one's role and responsibility. Nurses have a responsibility to practice collaboratively hence communication skills are crucial to efficient health care team function.

Chant, S. Jenkinson, T., Randle, J. and Russel, G. (2002) Communication skills: some problems in nursing education and practice, Journal of Clinical Nuring, 11, 1, pp. 12-21,CINAHL Plus with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 10 December 2014.

It is important to have teamwork, because without it you may not know pertinent

Edwards, M. and Edwards, M. (2009) Communication skills for nurses: A practical guide on how to achieve successful consultations. London: Quay Books,a division of Mark Allen Publishing.

I believe team work is both crucial and essential in ensuring that an organization meets its set target and to sustain team success on a long-term basis. For team work to produce quality result, the team must first identify the strengths and weaknesses in each individual member and the team task and team goals must be clearly designated from the onset. In addition, identifying the strengths and weakness in team mates and clearly defining team tasks, team tasks must be assigned matching task to team mates in the areas team members fit in and assigning deadlines alongside each assigned team task.

As nurses have a key role in meeting the communication needs of patients, effective nursing communication skills are a critical element of patient care (Candlin & Candlin 2003). Effective

According to O'Daniel & Rosenstein (2008), having good communication skills is the most important part of healthcare professionals. In today's healthcare system having good communication skill and team work involves various of boundaries these include the level of an individual's education and experiences. The one that lacks to communicate or work as the team creates many serious situations where medical errors can occur. The little errors through communication have the potential to cause many problems of patients. Such medical errors, mostly caused by a failure to communicate are an extensive matter within health care. This essay will redirect based on the group task and focus on the role I played in this group activity, as well as explanations

Midwives felt there was a contradiction between what was expected of them. They are meant to be flexible in the care they provide but also follow guidelines and protocols of the hospital (Schmied, 2007). Generally midwives are perceived as being “friendly, approachable and encouraging” postnatally but they are “simultaneously identify them to be busy, rushed and difficult to contact” ( Fenwick, 2009, p20; Brown, 2005; McLacklan, 2006).

When working as part of a team it is very important to be an effective team player, being