Importance Of Communication Of Nurses Nursing Essay

Importance Of Communication Of Nurses Nursing endeavorCommunication involves the central of messages and is a go which all mortals participate in. Whether it is done spoken enounce, written word, non-verbal agency or even silence, messages ar ever macrocosm exchanged between individuals or bases of people (Bach Grant 2009). solely behaviour has a message and converse is a process which individuals basisnot reverse being involved with (Ellis et al 1995).In treat utilisation, discourse is requisite, and earnest dialogue skills be paramount in the jumpment of a therapeutic encourage/ unhurried relationship. This aim of this essay is to discuss the importance of talk in nursing, demonstrating how potent communion facilitates a therapeutic draw/ tolerant relationship. This leave be achieved by providing a definition of communion, making name and address to models of communication and explaining how different types of communication skills domiciliate be so cial occasiond in practise.In inn to engage in implicationful communication and develop effective communication skills, nurses mustiness(prenominal) engage in the process of reflecting on how communication skills are utilise in practise. look allows the nurse hazard to gain a deeper insight into personal strengths and weaknesses and to address whatever areas of invade in order to improve future tense practise (Taylor 2001). A hike up aim will be to reflect on how communication skills permit been utilised within nursing practise. Various models of reflection will be examined, and a pensive eyeshade of a personal come across which occurred during office will be pass ond employ a model. This meditative account will involve a description the incident, an analysis of thoughts and feelings and an evaluation of what has occurred. Finally, the reflective account will include an action plan for a similar slur, which whitethorn arise, in the future.Communication involves schooling being sent, received and decoded between deuce or more people (Balzer-Riley 2008) and involves the employ of a number of communication skills which in a nursing context generally focuses on listening and giving information to patients (Weller 2002). This process of sending and receiving messages has been expound as two simple and complex (Rosengren 2000 in McCabe 2006, p.4). It is a process which is continually utilised by nurses to convey and receive information from the patient, co-workers, others they come into contact with and the patients family. mouldings of Communication.The bilinear Model is the simplest form of communication and involves messages being sent and received by two or more people (McCabe 2006). Whilst this model demonstrates how communication occurs in its simplest form, it fails to consider other factors impacting on the process. Communication in nursing work out deal be complicated, involving the conveyance of large amounts of information, for example, when providing patients with information relating to their dread and sermon or when offering health promotion advice.In contrast, the Circular Transactional Model is a two way approach, acknowledging other factors, which run communication much(prenominal) as feedback and validation (McCabe 2006). Elements of this model are to a fault contained in Hargie and Dickinsons (2004) A Skill Model of Interpersonal Communication which suggests that successful communication is focuse, purpose-built and identifies the following skills person centred context, goal, mediating process, response, feedback and perception. It similarly considers other aspects of the individual and the influence these whitethorn energize on their approach to the process of communication (McCabe 2006).For communication to be effective it is meaning(a) for the nurse to sleep together key divisors, and intrinsic and appearside factors, which may affect the process (McCabe 2006). They must consi der factors such as past personal delivers, personal perceptions, timing and the setting in which communication occurs. Physical, physiological, psychological and semantic noise may also influence the message, resulting in misinterpreted by the receiver (McCabe 2006).Communication skills.Communication consists of verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication relates to the spoken word and can be conducted face-to-face or oer the telephone (Docherty McCallum 2009). Nurses continually communicate with patients verbal communication allows the nurse opportunity to take a shit information to the patient or so their care or treatment, to see the patient and to listen and respond to any concerns the patient may mother (NMC 2008). Effective communication is beneficial to the patient in terms of their felicity and understanding, of care and treatment they have been inclined (Arnold Boggs 2007), while at the corresponding metre optimising the outcomes or care and/or treatment for the patient (Kennedy- Sheldon 2009). inquisitive allows the nurse to gather further information and circularise or unkindly questions can be used. Closed questions unremarkably require a yes or no response and are used to gather the necessary information, whereas open questions allow the patient, opportunity to tender an active consumption and to discuss and meet options relating to their care as set out in the Healthcare Standards for Wales muniment (2005). Probing questions can be used to explore the patients problems further therefrom allowing the nurse to treat the patient as an individual and develop a care plan specific to their individual needs (NMC 2008).It is vital that the nurse communicates effectively, sharing information with the patient near their health in an comprehensible way to arrest the patient is fully informed near their care and treatment and that consent is gained prior to this occurring (NMC 2008). The nurse should also listen to the patient and res pond to their concerns and preferences about their care and well-being (NMC 2008). In nursing, listening is an essential skill and incorporates attending and listening (Burnard Gill 2007). Attending fully pore on the other person and being assured of what they are exhausting to communicate and listening the process of hearing what is being said by another person are the most important aspects of being a nurse (Burnard 1997).Non-verbal communication is a major factor in communication, involving exchange of messages without terminology. It relates to emotional states and attitudes and the conveyance of messages through body economy body language has seven elements gesture, facial expressions, gaze, posture, body space and proximity, touch and dress (Ellis et al 1995). Each of these elements can reinforce the spoken word and add meaning to the message it isnt about what you say or how you say it scarce it also relates to what your body is doing while you are speaking (Oberg 200 3). Patients often read cues from the nurses non-verbal behaviour, which can argue interest or disinterest. Attentiveness and attention to the patient can be achieved through SOLER S sit squarely, O Open posture, L learn towards the patient, E eye contact, R relax (Egan 2002).There must be congruency between verbal and non verbal messages for effective communication to be achieved. Non-verbal communication can contradict the spoken word and the ability to recognise these non-verbal cues is vitally important in nursing practice (McCabe 2006), for example, a patient may verbally communicate that they are not in pain, hardly their non-verbal communication such as facial expression may indicate otherwise. It is also important for the nurse to be aware of the congruency of their verbal and non-verbal communication. some(prenominal) discrepancies between the two will have a direct influence on the message they are giving to patients, and may jeopardise the nurse/patient relationsh ip.Other factors may affect communication in a negative way, endangering the process, and nurses must be aware of insepar satisfactory and external barriers (Schubert 2003). overlook of interest, poor listening skills, culture and the personal attitude are internal factors, which may affect the process. External barriers such as the physical environment, temperature, the use of jargon and/or technical words can also negatively influence the process (Schubert 2003).Reflection.To fully assess the development of communication skills the nurse can chafe use of reflection to gain a reform insight and understanding of their skills (Siviter 2008). Reflection can also be used to apply theoretical knowledge to practice, consequently bridging the gap between scheme and practice (Burns Bulman 2000) and allows us opportunity, to develop a better insight and cognisance of our actions both conscious and unconscious in the situation. Reflecting on way outs that take endow in practice, al lows opportunity not only to think about what we do, scarce also to consider why we do things. This helps us to learn from the experience and improve our future nursing practice (Siviter 2008). Reflection can be described as either reflection in action occurring during the event, or reflection on action which happens after the event has occurred (Taylor 2001) and is guided by a model, which serves as a framework within, which the nurse is open to work. It is usually a written process, and the use of a reflective model uses questions to provide a structure and guide for the process (Siviter 2008). pondering Models.There are numerous reflective models that may be utilised by the nursing professional, for example, Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988), Johns Model of Structured Reflection (1994) and Driscolls Model of Reflection (2002). Gibbs model (Appendix I) has a cyclical approach, consisting of six stages per cycle that guide the drug user through a series of questions, providing a str ucture for reflection on an experience. The first stage of the process is a descriptive account of the situation what happened? Followed by an analysis of thoughts and feelings in the help stage what were your thoughts and feelings? The third and fourthly stages involve an evaluation of the situation, what was keen and/or bad about the experience and an analysis allowing us to make sense of the situation. The last two stages are the conclusion of the situation, what else could have been done and finally an action plan to pose for similar situations, which may arise in the future (Gibbs 1988).Similarly to Gibbs Reflective Cycle, Johns Model of Structured Reflection (Appendix II) and Driscolls (Appendix III) model of reflection get up instruction through reflection. They have similar structures, which guide the user through the reflective process. Johns Model incorporates four stages description, reflection, alternative actions and acquire (Johns 1994) and Discolls model has th ree stages a return to the situation, understanding the context and modifying future outcome (Discoll 2002). The three models described all have similarities in that the user is guided through the reflective process by describing the event, analysing their thoughts, feelings and actions and making plans for future practice. Considering the models of reflection described, the next component of this essay will make use of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1998) to provide a reflective account of a situation which I see during clinical placement in a community setting.Reflective Account.As part of this placement, I assisted my mentor, a health visitor, in the furnish of a mess up club for parents with babies and pre-school children, which takes place on a periodical basis and involves routine checks, such as baffle-weighing, in addition to opportunity, for parents to interact and opportunity for health visitors to provide information relating to the care and health of babies and childr en.During the second week of this placement, I was asked to assist in the delivery of a sociable health promotion academic session relating to dental health. I have chosen this event as a basis for my reflective account as I feel that health promotion is an important area to consider. It enables individuals to play a pivotal role in their own health (Webster and Finch 2002 in Scriven 2005) and is a means by which positive health can be promoted and enhanced alongside the prevention of illness (Downie et al 2000). It gives clients the knowledge to make informed decisions about their health and prevention of illness and is an area in which the nurse or healthcare professional plays a key role (WHO 1989).Description of the event.The event occurred during a weekly session at baby club that takes place in a community centre. My mentor (Health Visitor) and I were present along with a grouping of ten mothers and their babies. As this event took place during a group session, I will main tain surefootediality (NMC 2008) by not referring to any one individual. Consent was gained from all clients prior to the session commencing, in line with the NMC Code of Conduct (2008) and the environment was checked to ensure it was appropriate and safe for the session to take place.The aim of the session was to promote good dental health and literal hygiene amongst children and babies. Standard 1 of the Standards of Care for Health Visitors (RCN 1989) is to promote health, and the session aimed to provide clients with relevant, up-to-date information, thus allowing them to make informed choices about the future care of their childrens teeth. Chairs were set out in a semi-circle with a number of play mats and various baby toys placed in the centre. This allowed parents opportunity to interact in the session, to listen to the information and ask questions while at the same time being in close enough proximity to their children to respond to their needs. The Health Visitor and I sat at the front of the semi circle facing the group. I reintroduced myself to the group and gave a brief explanation of my role and the part I would play in the session. This was important some of the clients were meeting me for the first time, and it is during this initial contact that judgements are made about future interactions, and the service being provided. Positive initial interaction can provide a good foundation for a future beneficial relationship (Scriven 2005). The session was crushed down into two parts information giving, focusing on the promotion of dental health and prevention of illness in the form of tooth downslope (Robotham and Frost 2005). Secondly, information relating to tooth brushing was given along with a proof undertaken by myself that showed the clients good oral hygiene could be achieved through effective tooth brushing. A question and answer session followed which allowed us to clarify any issues raised.Feelings and thoughts.In the week, preceding the session it was important for me to consider a authoritative approach to the planning of the session. The first stage was to gather relevant, up-to-date information relating to the subject and plan how it could be incorporated in the session. The NMC Standards of Proficiency (2004a) states that nurses must engage in a continual process of learning and that evidence-based practice should be used (Bach and Grant 2009). The plan was discussed with my mentor and advice was sought about any adjustments which may be necessary.Prior to the session, I was apprehensive about delivering a health promotion session to clients (patients). I as I mat up out of my depth as a first twelvemonth student and my anxiety was exacerbated further as this was my first placement. However, support and rise from my mentor and other health visitors in the team helped me to relax. I was given the opportunity to discuss the topic with my mentor and was relieved when I was able to respond to any questions a sked in an appropriate manner and that my knowledge had been increase through the research I had undertaken, thus boosting my confidence.Evaluation.Despite my initial backlog about my knowledge of the subject and apprehension at delivering a health promotion session, I feel that my mentors decision to include me in the delivery of the session benefitted me greatly in the development of my knowledge and self confidence. During the session, I feel that I communicated well verbally with clients and that my non-verbal communication was appropriate and corresponded to what I was saying. The clients were focused on the session and seemed genuinely interested, nodding when they understood and showed attentiveness by making regular eye contact. Feedback from clients after the session also allowed me to reflect on my communication one of the clients stated afterwards that she had gained a lot from the session particularly the demonstration relating to tooth brushing and was now more aware of the importance of early oral hygiene to prevent problems later(prenominal) in the childs life.Analysis.Dental Health is a key Health publicity target in Wales and is the most prevalent form of disease amongst children in Wales. Many of the participants were unaware of when and how childrens teeth should be cared for and the importance of ensuring good oral hygiene from an early age. The aim of the session was to provide information to parents as a means of promoting good oral hygiene and prevention of tooth decomposition reaction in babies and young children. In order for the aim to be achieved, communication was a key element. Effective communication in a group can only be achieved if there is trust, participation, co-operation and collaboration among its members and the belief that they as a group are able to perform effectively as a group (Balzer-Riley 2008). The information was provided in a way that was tardily understandable, a demonstration of how teeth should be brushe d was given, and time was allowed for the clients time to ask questions. Communication and listening skills allowed us to discover what knowledge the clients already had, and enabled us to adjust the information to meet the needs of the clients. Throughout the session, I was aware of my non-verbal communication and attempted to show attentiveness to individuals in the group, using the principles of SOLER I made the necessary adjustments. At times, this proved difficult as trying to lean towards the clients and maintain eye contact with each individual was not possible in a group situation.My anxiety about delivering the session was also an area which I had some concerns with. Nervousness can have an influence on how a message is delivered, and I was incessantly aware of my verbal communication, particularly my paralanguage. I have a goal to speak at an accelerated rate when I am head-in-the-clouds, and was aware that this may influence the way in which the message was being recei ved. It is important to be aware of paralanguage in which the meaning of a word or phrase can change depending on tone, pitch or the rate at which the word(s) is spoken. Paralanguage may also include vocal sounds which may accompany speech and which can add meaning to the words being spoken (Hartley 1999).Throughout the session, I was aware of my verbal and non-verbal communication, and I tried to ensure that it corresponded to the information being given I was also aware of non-verbal communication of the participants and made appropriate adjustments to my delivery when neededConclusion. aft(prenominal) the session had finished, I was given an opportunity to discuss it with my mentor. I was able to articulate what I felt had gone well, what hadnt gone quite as well and what could be improved. I noted that I was very nervous about delivering the session despite having the knowledge and understanding of the subject and felt that this may have been noticed by the participants. However , feedback from my mentor allowed me to realise that my restiveness was not apparent in my delivery. By undertaking this reflection, I have been able to question the experience and analyse my actions and behaviour, as a means of developing my knowledge for future practiceAction plan.This session has helped with my learning and personal development and I now feel more confident in my ability to deliver health promotion activities in a group setting. I am, however, aware that speaking in a group setting is not an area I am very pleasant with but further practice will help alleviate this. I am confident that I will be able to use the knowledge gained on the subject of dental health in my future placements. In the future, I will repeat the process of thorough research, as it is best practice to keep knowledge up-to-date in order to provide care based on evidence (NMC 2008).Summary.In summary, communication is a complex process and an essential skill which the nurse must be aware of in every aspect, of care and treatment they give to patients. A full awareness of not only the spoken word, but also the influence non-verbal communication has on the messages being communicated, is essential in the development of a therapeutic relationship between nurse and patient. The process of reflecting upon practice is also an essential element of knowledge development. After regard of a number of reflective frameworks, the use of Gibbs Reflective Cycle as a structure for creating a reflective account has proven to be beneficial in the exploration of personal thoughts and feelings in relation to a specified event and I recognise the importance of reflection as a learning tool that can enhance knowledge and practice.