Communication Skills for Nurses

Jargon and Abbreviations

• Jargon, terminology, or abbreviations can be misunderstood by professionals, carers, and patients, leading to confusion and mistakes.
• The overuse of abbreviations can have devastating consequences, such as the ambiguity of "DOA" meaning "date of admission" or "dead on arrival".
• Examples of abbreviations used in healthcare include:
  • C-section (Caesarean section)
  • CAT/CT scan (Computed Tomography scan)
  • BP (Blood Pressure)
  • FX (Fracture)
  • NKA (No Known Allergies)
  • ABG (Arterial Blood Gas)
  • ICP (Intracranial Pressure)
  • vitals (vital signs)
  • MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
  • BSA (Body Surface Area)
  • claudication (pain in the legs)
  • SOB (Shortness of Breath)
  • AF (Atrial Fibrillation)
  • C/O (complaint of)
  • WN (wellness nurse)
  • BI (Bowel Incontinence)
  • TPR (Temperature, Pulse, Respiration)
  • W/C (wheelchair)
  • CL (Cognitive Loss)
  • O2 (oxygen)
  • PCA (Patient-Controlled Analgesia)
  • BG (Blood Glucose)
  • PC (Patient Care)
  • DOA (Date of Admission/Dead on Arrival)
  • SB (Stroke Belt)
  • COAD (Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease)
  • NIDDM (Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus)
  • CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid)
  • SS (Social Services)
  • BO ( Bowel Obstruction)
  • GB (Gallbladder)
  • CP (Chest Pain)
  • NA (Nursing Assistant)
  • MAOIs ( Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors)

Customer Service

• Hospital customers are different because they don't want to be there, and the experience can be scary and confusing.
• The focus on customer service should be the most important thing in healthcare, ensuring patient experience is a hospital's philosophy about the delivery of care.
• Patients rely on someone else to make decisions for them, unlike customers who make their own decisions.
• Hospitals now provide a wider choice of meals served at flexible times, regarding patients as customers.

Interpersonal Skills

• The way you present yourself, including your appearance and manner, is important in establishing trust with patients.
• Judgments about you and the organization you represent are made in the first few minutes of meeting someone in the workplace.
• Active listening involves recognizing the person talking, nodding, and agreeing, and summarizing the conversation in your own words.
• Assertive communication skills are important for being clear, concise, and to the point about what you want or need.
• Anger management is essential in the workplace to avoid directing anger at others and causing intimidation and hostility.

Effective Communication

• Communication can fail due to various barriers, which will be discussed in Chapter 7.
• To improve communication, one should:
  • Clarify and show interest in others
  • Be positive and cheerful
  • Empathize and understand others' perspectives
  • Recognize, manage, and reduce stress in oneself and others
  • Reflect on previous conversations and learn from mistakes and successes
  • Negotiate effectively with others