Communication Process PDF

# Communication Process ## Introduction - Reporting and recording are major communication techniques used by health care providers - Help to direct client based decision making and continuity of care - Medical record serves as a legal document for recording all client activities - Assessed and i...

# Communication Process ## Introduction - Reporting and recording are major communication techniques used by health care providers - Help to direct client based decision making and continuity of care - Medical record serves as a legal document for recording all client activities - Assessed and initiated by health care practitioners. ## Communication - An interaction between two people or between an individual and a group of people - Used to exchange information, knowledge and attitudes. ## Types of Communication ### Verbal communication - Exchange of information using words. ### Nonverbal communication - Through body language - Messages without words or silent messages - Research indicates that nonverbal messages have a much greater impact than verbal messages. #### 1. Eye contact - Eyes transmit more information than any other part of the body - People generally observe unwritten rules about looking at others because eye contact is so revealing. #### 2. Facial expressions - Most observations about other people are very accurate - If we are able to assess the inner emotions of the other person, we can be sure that person is doing the same to us, drawing conclusions based on our facial expressions. #### 3. Gestures - Placing hand over mouth, clenching hands together, crossing legs, or gripping arms - These gestures send messages to people about how a person reacts to them and to the situation. #### 4. Personal space - It is possible to make others uncomfortable by standing too close or too far away from them - A customer may feel uncomfortable if a salesperson stands too close. - [Link](https://youtu.be/4_5dayHDdBk?si=O5Bcjo9D11-jg202) - Verbal communication versus non-verbal communication ## Levels of Communication 1. **Interpersonal communication:** Any process of exchange of information, ideas, and feelings between 2 or more people. 2. **Intrapersonal communication:** Communication which happens within an individual (Self-talk-inner dialogue). 3. **Mass/public communication:** The transmission of messages to a large audience of receivers through TV, radio, internet ## Elements of Communication Process | Element | Description | | :----------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | The sender | Who sends the message | | The message | Ideas, information, feelings, emotions. | | The channel | Communication means or message transmission | | The receptor | To whom, the person to whom we talk. The one who receives the message. | | The feedback | With what effects? The information or the reaction given by the receptor. | ## Factors Influencing Communication Process These factors should be considered by nurses: - Ability to listen - Sensory losses - visual or hearing - Emotional factors - Developmental stage - Gender - Values - Socio cultural differences - Distance at which an interaction takes place - Environment ## Therapeutic Relationship Between Nurse and Client - The most common problems that can arise in nursing care are a failure to establish a helping relationship with the patient. - It is a relationship between the nurse and the client that helps the client to meet his needs and overcome his problems. ## Characteristics of a Therapeutic Relationship - It focuses on patient concerns and needs at first, then nurse needs - Have specific purposes - Time limited interaction - It is professional communication, not friendship - Mutual trust and respect between the nurse and client - May develop over weeks or minutes - Planned communication goals to be met - Client feels that he or she is the primary focus of the nurse ## Common Goals of Therapeutic Communication - Establish a constructive relationship between the nurses and the client - Promotes understanding - Increase independence for the patient - Improve patient's health ## Communication Barriers ### Nurse Need to Recognize and Avoid these Barriers - Failure to listen - Use of poor verbal and body language communication - False interpretation of messages - Pacing the nurse's needs above client needs - Being defensive - Denial - Use of medical language - Changing topics - Inappropriate/false reassurance - Telling the patient what to do - Improper questioning - Patient feeling that he has not the interest of others - nurse, doctors - Patient fear, anxiety, stress - Limited communication between patient and nurse - Break confidence - Environmental distracter ## Components of the Nurse-Client Relationship 1. **Acceptance:** The feeling of being accepted encourages the patient to establish this relationship. 2. **Successful communication:** It helps the patient to express his feeling and needs and the nurse to meet these needs during the relationship. 3. **Trust:** Refers to a feeling of confidence in relation to others. It is essential that the nurse says be consistent with her actions - competency in physical skills promotes trust. 4. **Empathy:** Ability of the nurse to feel with and for the patient. It requires from the nurse to separate her own values, opinions and judgments to see the situation as it appears to the patient. It permits the nurse to understand the patient’s behavior. 5. **Respect:** Implies the dignity and worth of an individual regardless of his unacceptable behavior. 6. **Genuineness:** Refers to the nurse's ability to be open, honest, and "real" in interactions with the client. Implies congruence between what is felt and what is being expressed. ## Phases of the Nurse-Client Relationship ### 1. Pre-Interaction Phase - The main tasks are: - Nurse self-exploration for fears, self-esteem, and self-concept. - Gather information about the patient. - Review goals of a therapeutic relationship. - Examine own feelings, fears, anxieties about working with a particular client. ### 2. Initiation or Orientation Phase - The main goal is to know each other to develop a trusting relationship through: - Positive attitude toward the patient. - Accept him as he is with his limitations and strengths. - Communicate to each other to express feelings. - Plan to achieve the goals. - The patient tries to test out the nurse before trusting her. ### 3. The Working Phase - The main tasks accomplished by the nurse are: - Assist the patient in developing a realistic self-concept. - Promote self-confidence. - Increase the patient's ability to verbally describe his feelings. - Provide opportunities for independent functioning. - Maintain trust. - Continuously evaluate progress toward goal attainment. ### 4. Termination Phase - Establish a future plan for adaptive coping with stressful situations. - Explore feelings of loss of the relationship. - If proper care is taken and if one is aware of feeling, termination can be handled easily in a healthy way.