Question

• Explain why the study of communication is an im­portant part of nursing education?
• Give an example of when you observed a negative communication strategy used within nursing practice.
• Using the example provided in the previous question, what positive communication strategies would you use to build, improve, or repair relationships in your scenario. Explain why you feel that way.

Answer 1

Ans) The communication is an important management function closely associated with all other managerial functions. It bridges the gap between individuals and groups through flow of information and understanding between them.

- Study of communication between nurses and patients have many benefits. First, it greatly contributes to the ability to provide patients with individualized care. Those needs include the feelings of safety, love and confidence, all of which are important during a patient's treatment and recovery.

- Good communication helps patients/clients feel at ease:
It's common for people who need health care services to feel anxious about their health, about what tests and treatment they might have to undergo and about what the future holds for them.

Negative communication strategy:

- Negative Communication can Lead to Employee Conflict Whether it's gossip, passive-aggressive comments or a full-blown argument, negative communication leads to conflict. Even if you think employees should be able to separate any personal differences from the job they're doing, this conflict does have an impact.

Positive communication strategy:

- Choose a time and place appropriate for the conversation. Being in a quiet place without interruptions or distractions and having plenty of time for the discussion helps increase the chances your child will be open to sharing and listening. Active listening is an important component of positive communication.

Positive communication” does not mean only saying nice things and avoiding conflict. Here’s what it does mean:

• Be Brief:
- Most people say more than necessary when they haven’t planned it in advance, especially when nervous or angry. Try to hone in on your central request ahead of time, and stick to it. Script, edit, and rehearse what you want to say as concisely as possible. Extraneous words can drown out your core message (as in the “waa waa waa” of Charlie Brown’s teacher).
• Be Specific:
- Vague requests are easy to ignore or misunderstand, and are often difficult to translate into concrete behavior. In contrast, referring to specific behaviors instead of thoughts or feelings makes change observable, measurable, and reinforceable. For instance, instead of telling your partner to “be more responsible,” specify a behavior you want to see more of: “I’d really appreciate it if you called me in the afternoon if you will be late coming home from work.”
• Be Positive:
- Where “positive” entails describing what you want, instead of what you don’t want. This shifts the framing from critical and complaining to supportive and doable, and ties into positive reinforcement strategies, since it’s easier to reward someone for doing something—a concrete, verifiable thing— than for not doing something. Being positive in this way decreases defensiveness and promotes motivation. Framed positively, “Stop making a mess in the kitchen” becomes “Please put your dishes in the sink when you’re done.”
• Label Your Feelings:
- Kept brief and in proportion, a description of your emotional reaction to the problem at hand can help elicit empathy and consideration from your partner. For best results, state your feelings in a calm, nonaccusatory manner. If your feelings are very intense it can be good strategy to tone them down, so if you were feeling “furious and terrified” you might say “frustrated and worried.”
• Offer an Understanding Statement:
- The more the other person believes that you “get” why he is acting the way he is, the less defensive he will be and the more likely to hear you and oblige. Plus, trying to understand your partner’s perspective builds your empathy, which will help the relationship.
• Take Partial Responsibility:
- Sharing in a problem, even a tiny piece of the problem, decreases defensiveness and promotes collaboration. It shows your partner that you’re interested in solving, not blaming. Accepting partial responsibility does not mean taking the blame or admitting fault; it communicates “We’re in this together.”
•Offer to Help:
- Especially when phrased as a question, an offer to help can communicate non-blaming, problem-solving support. Try asking, “Would it help if . . . ?” Or simply, “How can I help?” A little goes a long way to improve communication and generate ideas. (“Yeah, if you texted me a reminder, that would help.”)