Chapter 24 - Communication Danielle Nagel

Chapter 24 - Communication Danielle Nagel

1. Ways to apply critical thinking to the communication process

   • Nurses who develop critical thinking skills make the best communicators. They form therapeutic relationships to gather relevant and comprehensive information about their patients. With critical thinking skills they can interpret messages received from others to obtain new information, correct misinformation, promote patient understanding, and assist with planning patient-centered care.
     • Critical thinking helps nurses overcome perceptual biases or stereotypes that interfere with accurately perceiving and interpreting messages from others. People often incorrectly assume that they understand an individual's culture. By thinking critically about personal communication habits, you learn to control these tendencies and become more effective in interpersonal relationships.

2. The five levels of communication with patients

   • The first level of communication is intrapersonal communication. Intrapersonal communication is a powerful form of communication that you use as a professional nurse. This level of communication is also called self-talk.
     • The second level of communication is interpersonal communication. Interpersonal communication is one-on-one interaction between a nurse and another person that often occurs face to face. It is the level most frequently used in nursing situations and lies at the heart of nursing practice
   • The third level of communication is small-group communication. Small-group communication is usually goal directed and requires an understanding of group dynamics.
     • The fourth level of communication is public communication. Public communication is interaction with an audience.
       • The fifth level of communication is electronic communication. Electronic communication is the use of technology to create ongoing relationships with patients and their health care team.

3. The features of Circular Transactional communication process: It's a communication model that enhances the linear communication by enabling the sender and receiver to view perceptions, attitudes, and potential reactions of others via a mental picture.

   • The circular transactional model includes several elements: the referent, sender and receiver, message, channels, context or environment in which the communication process occurs, feedback and interpersonal variables.
   • The referent motivates one person to communicate with another. The sender is the person who encodes and delivers a message and the receiver is the person who receives and decodes the message. the sender puts the message into verbal and non-verbal symbols that the receiver can understand. the message is the content of the communication. It contains verbal and non-verbal expressions of thoughts and feelings. Effective messages are clear, direct, and in understandable language.
     • communication channels are means of sending and receiving messages though visual, auditory and tactile senses. Feedback is the message a receiver receives from the sender. It indicates whether the receiver understood the meaning of the senders message. Interpersonal variables are factors within both the sender and receiver that influence communication. The environment is the setting for sender-receiver interaction and effective communication setting provides participants with physical and emotional comfort and safety.
       • Features of the a helping relationship when interacting w/ patients: Caring relationships are the foundation of clinical nursing practice. Therapeutic relationships primate a psychological climate that facilitates positive change and growth.
         • a caring relationship between you and a patient just does not happen: you create it with skill and trust.

4. The four phases of a nurse-patient helping relationship: pre-interaction phase, orientation phase, working phase, and termination phase. Pre-interaction phase: before meeting a patient review available data including the medical and nursing history.

   • orientation phase: when the nurse and patient meet and get to know one another. Set the tone for the relationship by adopting a warm empathetic caring manor.
     • the working phase: is when the nurse and patient work together to solve problems and accomplish goals. Encourage and help the patient express feelings about his/hers health. Take action to meet the goals set with the patient.
       • The termination phase is during the ending of the relationship: Remind the patient that termination is near. evaluate goal achievement with the patient

5. Desired outcomes of the nurse-health care team member relationships: when patients move from one nursing unit to another or from one provider to another there is a risk for miscommunication. To address this risk health care providers provide detailed hand-off reports and end of shifts or when patient transfer off care units to ensure that patients have a safe and smooth transition and care.

   • TGC resources recommends that the entire health care team collaborate and coordinate during patient transition. The SBAR technique is a popular communication tool that standardizes communication. SBAR is the acronyms for situation, background, assessment and recommendation.

6. Qualities, behaviors and communication techniques of profession communication while interacting with patience: professional appearance, demeanor and behavior are important in establishing trustworthiness and competence.

   • Professional behavior reflects warmth, friendliness, confidence, and competence. Always introduce yourself, make eye contact and smiling recognizes others. addressing people by name conveys respect for human dignity and uniqueness. Avoid terms of endearment such as honey, dear, grandma, or sweetheart. Take the initiative in problem solving and communicate in a way that reflects the importance and purpose of a therapeutic conversation
     • AIDET is a technique developed by the Stutter Group to enable health care workers to provide accurate and timely communication to patients and families while focusing on excellent patient service. The acronym stands for Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explain and Thank You

7. Opportunities to improve communications with patients while giving care: active listening means being attentive to what a patient is saying both verbally and non-verbally. It facilitates patient communication. To express empathy you reflect that you understand and feel the importance of the other persons communication. Touch conveys many messages such as affection, emotional support, encouragement, tenderness and personal attention.

8. Effective communications techniques for older patience: make sure the patient knows that you are talking. face the patient, be sure that your faces/ mouth is visible to him or her and do not chew gum or talk while chewing. Speak clearly but do not exaggerate lip movement or shout.

9. Alternative communication devices when appropriate to promote communication with patients who have impaired communication: Choose a quiet well-lit environment with minimal distractions allow time for the patient to respond. do not assume that the patient is being uncooperative if she/he does not reply or takes a long time to reply. Communication with non-English speaking patients: provide a professional interpreter for the patient and health care providers to communicate with one another.

10. Nursing care measures for patients with special communication needs: interacting with people who have conditions that impair communication require special though and sensitivity. Such patience benefit greatly when you adapt communication techniques to their unique circumstances, development mental level, or cognitive and sensory deposits'. A nurse directs actions towards meeting the goals and expected outcomes identify in the plan of care, addressing both the communication impairment and its contributing factors.