Therapeutic Communication Essay

In this written report I will discuss the role of effective communication and interpersonal interaction in Health and Social Care settings. Communication can be explained and put forward in different types of ways, depending on the person whom you are interacting with, the environment in which the form of communication is taking place and finally what type of communication they are used to performing to others, this can also be re worded as the context of communication.

Communication isn’t just about talking. There are so many different elements to communicating in society. How a person gestures, the tone in an individual’s voice, an expression on a person’s face, how a person listens is all a part of communicating. As we all know, in order to communicate with one another we must be able to listen. I think in society people think that communication is all about speaking but in reality it is just a little piece to a bigger picture. In today’s society, listening seems to be a skill that is being neglected. Even though it is basically the first communication skill that we are exposed to, we have pushed it aside and chose speaking to dominate our lives. Researchers have discovered that fetuses can process incoming sounds during the last trimester of pregnancy, and that by 12 months children have learned sounds of and rules of their native language(Worthington, 3). This shows that children’s abilities to speak, read, write and reason are influenced highly by how well they are taught to listen. As parents we can all be teachers to our children so that they can grow up to be well-rounded communicators.

A few therapeutic techniques that a health care professional can use to communicate better are: 1. Justify the patient’s response to clearly understand their perception and beliefs. 2. Always be accepting of the patient even if you do not fully understand their background; be open. 3. Learn how to transform the patient’s feelings into thoughts and vice versa. If individuals in the health care field do not use this technique then they can create difficulties by using non-therapeutic communication; there are various ways to avoid non-therapeutic communication. A few examples to help improve non-therapeutic communication are avoid questions that are irrelevant to personal life, giving the patient your personal opinion or showing criticism towards the patients opinion. Another way to avoid therapeutic communication is using the term “why”. This will give off reassurance to the patient from the health care provider the patient will then become defensive. Make sure that you fully understand the patient’s feelings instead of jumping to conclusions on how the patient must feel; steer clear of the comments that you may make to the patient that could reveal your feelings because these do not matter to the patient and you do not want to lose the

A therapeutic relationship is a key component in the nursing profession. Without therapeutic relationships, the best possible care can never be provided. The foundation in which trust is built upon is created from the nurse’s ability to truly listen and respond appropriately. Listening creates the base in developing a strong, trusting relationship. Sometimes it is simply hearing what a patient says that makes all the difference, empowering them to open up and become more comfortable with the nurse (Hawkins-Walsh, 2000).

There are a number of barriers to effective communication in health and social care. One of these is the environment. If the environment gets in the way of effective communication, then the receiver may not understand the message that is being given to them.

Health and social care settings can present a variety of barriers to effective communication and interpersonal interaction. However these barriers and environmental factors can be overcome with the use of specific strategies targeting specific barriers.

For this unit we have been looking at communication is all its vast ways. We have been studying the environmental factors and barriers that can occur in health and social care settings. For this task I have been asked to explain those factors that influence communication and interpersonal interactions in health and social care environments and to also look at the negative barriers to communication.

There are many differing ideas on the best way to communicate in health and social care and there are many strategies used by the many differing professionals working in health and social care. This assignment will review the different strategies used and then will evaluate the differing strategies and their effectiveness when overcoming barriers to effective communication and interpersonal interactions.

In this assignment I am going to be explaining the factors that may influence communication and interpersonal in health and social care environments and also I am going to be explaining the strategies used in health and social care environments to overcome barriers to effective communication and interpersonal interactions. I will be including sensory deprivation, foreign language, jargon, slang, dialect, acronyms, cultural differences, distress, emotional difficulties, health issues and environmental problems, misinterpretation of message, aggression, assertion and how they can be overcome.

Therapeutic communication is the basis to maintain a proper nurse patient relationship. Furthermore, understanding that therapeutic communication which is so vital, patient’s literacy level is also crucial in the communication process. Boykins D., 2014 states that “individuals that experience health literacy problems receive less preventative care and have poor understanding of health problems and care”. A nurse assesses each patients’ literacy level upon their first interaction, she also uses therapeutic communication to build a strong nurse patient relationship. Therapeutic communication can be verbal and nonverbal, both equally important to help build a bridge for communication. An example of nonverbal therapeutic communication would be silence; in some cultures, silence is a norm and a way of thinking. With a precise assessment and proper

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.

Therapeutic communication is considered the heart of family nursing practice (Deane, & Fain, 2016). Knowing the different types of communication is vital for nurses, as it delivers an effective relationship between nurse-client affiliation. Effective therapeutic communication is the main key to success.

1.3 Review methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication between individuals in health and social care settings

There are many factors that can influence how effective therapeutic communication is. These factors can include such things as age, culture, gender, language, willingness, and cognitive and developmental levels. For patients that wish to participate actively in their own health care, effective therapeutic communication is extremely important (Mass. Dept. of Higher Ed.).

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.