Communication Module

Verbal Communications include:

• Involves the use of spoken or written words or symbols

• Cognitive meaning

• Denotative meaning

• Voice

• Jargon

Nonverbal Communication are messages transmitted without use of words, this includes:

• Voice, Eye contact, Physical appearance, Gestures, and Posture

• Involves the use of spoken or written words or symbols

Styles of Communication:

• Assertive communication- Takes into account feelings and needs of patient, honors nurse's rights, and interactions are even-sided

• Aggressive communication- Interacting with an overpowering and forceful manner, meets one's own personal needs, and destructive and non therapeutic

• Unassertive communication- Agreeing to do what is requested and creates additional problems

• Unaggressive- A non-aggressive manner

Establishing a Therapeutic Relationship includes:

• Interaction between nurse and patient is caring, sincere, empathetic, and trustworthy

• Ensure patient is the focus of each interaction

• The nurse is the focus of each interaction

• Establishes trust

• Maintains professional boundaries

Types of Nonverbal Therapeutic Communication

• Listening

• Talking

• Silence

• Touch

Types of Verbal Therapeutic Communications:

• Conveying acceptance, closed-questioning, open-ended questioning

• Restating, paraphrasing, clarifying, focusing, reflecting

• Stating observations, offering information, summarizing, using humor

• Deadpanned silcence

Nontherapeutic Communication

• Blocks development of trusting and therapeutic relationship

• Promotes trust within a patient

• Set boundaries with self and the patient

• I let the patient respond in their manner of communication

Factors affecting communication:

• Patient-centered care

• Posture and positioning

• Language barriers

• Cultural

• Level of trust

Barriers to communication:

• False reassurance

• Trusting the interaction

• Changing the subject

• False assumptions

• Asking for explanations

Trust

• A trusting relationship is essential to an effective nurse-patient interaction

• Doesn't mean that much if you're a good, responsible nurse

• Allows the interaction to progress past superficial social interaction

• Only sticks to surface levels and we shouldn't try to get to know the patients deeper