1.3
Communicating with patients
Communication is defined as the exchange of information, thoughts and feelings among people using speech or other mean. It is the most important component of working with patients. A good and an effective interaction between people helps them see what the other person thinks and how he or she feels. It helps to understand each other better. Communication happens also without words. This non-verbal communication is expressed by facial expressions, gestures and posture. It is important that there is an agreement between verbal and nonverbal communication.
The ability to communicate is a very important skill and a vital part of the nursing job. Nurses speak to people of different educational, cultural and social backgrounds and must do so in an effective and professional manner – especially when communicating with patients and their family. Good communication between nurses and patients is essential for the nursing care of each patient. To achieve this nurses must understand and help their patients, demonstrate kindness and sincerity. They should devote time to the communication with patients and their family and people who surround the patient. The language nurses use should be understood by all people involved.
Communication in the nursing profession is a two way process. The patient speaks about their fears and concerns to their nurse. The nurse listens and provides other information to the patient about the disease, treatment and rehabilitation plan. Nurses should always speak with discretion and delicacy.
In order for the nurses to be successful in their work they have to study communication and interpersonal relations in their education. They need to learn various aspects and applications of communication in various fields of nursing.
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6. Communicating with patient
Source: Author COMSEVENTHFLT, 120805-N-GL340-017, license Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0.
Fig. 6. Communicating with patient
Essential communication skills
  1. Speak slowly and carefully - Certain words sound very similar if they are spoken quickly.
  1. Speak clearly but not loudly - especially when communicating with elderly patients. Shouting only tends to make it harder to understand what you are saying. Instead of speaking louder, try speaking more clearly.
  1. Avoid using slang – do not use complicated words or slang terms.
  1. Remember your audience - What you say to a doctor or another nurse might be very different from what you would say to a patient and their family. Choose your words to fit the situation and the audience.
  1. Stop and listen - listen actively and ethically, to what the other person is saying. Communication is a two-way street.
  1. Reflect - reflect on what the person is saying to you and simply repeat what has been said in your own words, back to the person. If you are wrong, the person can correct you before you walk away.
  1. Use body language - majority of human communication is through the body language in our face, hands, posture etc. Be conscious of what your body is saying and whether it is in agreement with your words.
  1. Know your communication block - Everyone has a few of them. For instance, if you know that a person crying will effectively make your communication skills disintegrate try to practice ways to manage these situations better.
  1. Learn a foreign language - learning a new language enables better touch with the mother tongue and can help to use the words you already know.
  1. Don’t forget other methods of communication - In addition to speaking and listening, there are other skills such as reading, writing and technology-based communication. They are necessary as well.
  1. Frankness and honesty are also important for successful communication between nurses and patients. The discussion with the patient should be without doubts and misunderstandings.
  1. People differ in their needs for communication. Some patients just listen, others want a specific explanation for everything that happens to them. These different needs should be treated accordingly by the nurses, who should be able to detect what each patient wants.
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Video 2. Patient and family communication
1.3.1
Communicating with a Patient’s Family & Friends
The only one with the rights to patient information is the next of kin. Within large families there may however be a number of next of kin so someone should be appointed the main contact. This way, the nurse only has to explain the situation once.
Families in crisis may react in ways that they normally would not. The stress and worry over a patient in danger can cause them to say and do things that are offensive, violent, loud, and intimidating. A great deal of the attention is usually focused on the nurse because she is at the bedside, caring for their family member. It is important to remain calm whatever the family may present. Honesty is very important, and a nurse shouldn’t make empty promises to keep a relative calm.
1.3.1.1
Patient Rights v Family Rights
Patients have the right to competent care, protection from risks, and advocacy from their nurse. Families may feel they have rights too, but the patient’s rights always come first. If the relatives are disturbing the patient or causing more stress the nurse has to step in. Most families do not cause stress, but sometimes the family members cry, focus only on the negative, or upset the patient. In these cases, it is important to talk to the patient and the family members. Ask the patient if they are comfortable with their family and if they would like the family to have restricted access to them.
In the end, talking to a patient may be easier than talking to their family. Patients may not understand what is going on with them, and their relatives are basically in the same position. However, they also have the added stress of not knowing if their loved one will make it through. Nurses should offer them the same compassion they show to their patients.
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