Undeniably, communication skills have a significant role in career success in the nursing field. A study by STAT stated that 1,744 deaths of malpractice cases occurred due to nurses’ unprofessionalism and poor communication skills. Surprisingly, not many healthcare professionals realize the importance of communication skills during med school. Only when they begin their career do they recognize the necessity of effective communication in the healthcare sector.
There is a vast variety of duties included in a nurse’s routine that helps aid lives. However, the responsibilities depend not only on a diverse range of hard skills. For instance, providing wound care, analyzing medications, administering diagnostic tests, and more but also involves soft skills. Such as problem-solving and critical thinking. Furthermore, the ability to communicate successfully is the fundamental characteristic when it comes to nursing. The environment mainly influences effective communication with patients. Patient’s feel high-stress levels when the surrounding is loud, noisy, and distracting. Thus, a nurse needs to create a comfortable and safe environment where the patient is satisfied sharing his/her views. To further elaborate our discussion, let’s see the importance of effective communication in the healthcare sector;
Importance of Communication in Healthcare;
Communication is the foremost trait of healthcare services. It also includes effective collaboration with professional healthcare experts, managers, doctors, administrators, and other nurses. Nurses are also required to build trust with patients and their families, work together to treat patients, and solve routine problems. Effective and productive communication is essential between nonclinical and clinical staff to ward off errors and improve patient health outcomes.
The nursing career’s future is bright, and several people have realized its importance during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, the importance of BSN to MSN online has increased with time. Such academic endeavors not only hone skills necessary to land you jobs but also teaches people skills.
According to The U.S. BLS, the registered nurses’ employment will increase from 2018 to 2028 by 12%, which is greater than the usual standard of other occupations. The growing significance of a nursing career means more competition. An excellent solution is to increase your knowledge and earn a degree. You can do so by opting for BSN to masters in nursing online so that you can be productive even at home.
To develop a successful nursing career, we have gathered a few reasons how good communication will help you excel within your work field.
- Active Listening is Essential
For the best practice of active listening, you should not only listen to respond but listen to understand. To show your engagement, make sure to nod your head and lean forward while speaking to a patient or colleague. It shows that you are paying attention. Try to develop more profound and meaningful connections with patients and colleagues rather than just showing up to work and performing routine tasks.
- Shows Compassion and Empathy
Low health literacy has led to various problems regarding unsatisfactory population health. In most cases, people turn towards nurses when they face chronic illnesses for relief. And it doesn’t include just any nurse, but nurses who are trusted due to their advanced practices.
Secondly, the attitude of a nurse towards a patient should always reflect dignity and respect. Make sure to show empathy and love as most of the patients feel frightened, helpless, and depressed during such times.
3. Develops Trust
For nurses to develop a feeling of security and trust with their patients, they must listen to their patients’ complaints. However, the healthcare setting may frighten some patients, so it will take time to develop trust and feel comfortable.
The next generation of nurses will also learn the importance of trust from their nurse educators. For this reason, educators and nurse leaders should focus on sharing information openly, be willing to admit mistakes, and maintain safety and discipline.
- Cultural Aspects and its Awareness
There are several gestures and standard practices that are unacceptable in various cultures due to differences in religion and beliefs or values. As every patient has unique attributes and mindset, make sure you know your actions and communicate effectively with every patient.
5. Analyze body language
The attitude, manner, appearance, and posture of a nurse can shape patients’ perception accordingly. According to the Houston Chronicle, suppose a nurse makes little eye contact or looks at the time while communicating with patients. In that scenario, it may specify a lack of interest in the nurse.
- Educating and Explaining Patients
A significant nursing trait also includes how nurses convey the medications, disease process, and self-care techniques to patients and their families. Make sure you explain the medical terms in simple language and educate them about the procedures. You can also make the patients learn about the teach-back techniques to clear any ambiguity regarding medical conditions.
- Written Communication
As a nurse, try to keep the communication easy to understand and concise, especially if it’s nurse-to-nurse communication. The sentences should be grammatically correct and complete to avoid miscommunicating messages. For ease, try to use universal terminologies and abbreviations.
- Verbal Communication
While communicating verbally, the utmost important factor to keep in mind is your audience. Always watch your tone and speak clearly with complete sentences. The essential traits related to nurse communication skills are crucial for your success in the field. And they are attainable with practice and openness to learning.
9. Ensures flexibility
According to a Health Professions Education study: A Bridge to Quality, Clinical experts use communication mode that is their patient’s favorite to encourage patient-centered care. As every individual has their personal preference, whether by phone, via the internet, or in-person, do ensure that you use the preferred method.
Conclusion;
While polishing your communication skills, it is crucial to understand the barriers that exist as well. Weak relationships and interactions among patients and nurses occur due to communication barriers from the clinical expertise. To avoid the obstacles, we must focus on the root that gives birth to these problems. It includes differences in religion, culture, language, customs, and age. If you wish to avoid prejudice, it is essential to understand the cultural background of each patient. However, to take care of patients’ psychological barriers, nurses also need to overcome their fears and obstacles that hinder proper communication. It can be avoided by expert training, education, and consulting of people in the nursing field. By keeping such barriers in mind, one can quickly improve communication skills vital to surviving in the healthcare industry.
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