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The Benefits of Assertive Communication and the Importance of Interpersonal Relationships in the Healthcare Industry

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The Benefits of Assertive Communication and the Importance of Interpersonal Relationships in the Health Care Industry There is a large body of evidence that effective communication between healthcare workers their patients and their peers can have a significant influence on patient outcomes. According to study published in Issues in Medical Nursing (Kameg, Mitchell, Clochesy, Howard & Suresky, 2009) breakdowns in communication increasingly result in incidents that put patients in jeopardy. The average time a patient actually spends in a hospital is shorter than ever before while the number of healthcare professionals required to facilitate medical care for an individual patient is increasing. Often healthcare professionals experience anxiety and lack the confidence to openly and candidly express themselves. The importance of healthcare professionals acquiring the skills and creating the interpersonal relationships to effectively communicate with patients, their families and other healthcare providers cannot be underestimated. Effective communication encompasses collecting information, establishing a relationship or connection with a patient and other stakeholders, and supporting others through words and non-verbal interactions. Communication can be defined as a meaningful exchange of information through messages. Every communication follows a step-by step process among six elements: sender, message, channel, audience, feedback, and context. The basic forms of

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