HOW TO COMMUNICATE?

(SUCCESSFULLY!)

•What are some of the ways that we, in the United States of America,

communicate?

Are there different ways we communicate with patients, family or friends, our peers, and our instructors?

•Right at this very moment, are you communicating? Are you reading this, whispering to someone, or writing or texting somebody?

There are multiple ways in which we are able to communicate. Some we learn as infants, some as we are growing up, and the most difficult way, we may have to learn by our mistakes.

• Some of the ways we communicate:1. Verbally 8. Touch2. Visually 9. Facial Expressions3. Written 10. Physical Positioning4. Email 12. Sign Language5. Computers 13. Signals6. Texts 14. Silence7. Touch 15. Others

Sometimes we are active listeners, and other times we feel we need to yell to be heard.

The main point is that you MUST not only learn how to communicate, but what is the most effective way for each individual patient and/or person to understand what you are trying to convey.You must learn the way to actively listen to a patient, and HEAR what they are saying verses just listening to them speak.As a nurse, your communication skills will become more attuned to the patient and their environment.

As a nurse, you must be able to observe what the patient is saying out loud verses what

they are NOT saying at all. For example: A male patient states, “I feel great!” But his body language and his signs and symptoms are saying something completely different…

Touch can be the nurse’s

best friend to physically see

and know how someone

is feeling…

and a way to convey that they care about their patient, without words.

Silence can used as a magnificent tool to provide a patient time to gather their thoughts, or to be able to tell you something that is difficult.Silence can be useful as well, by revealing what someone is feeling, but not saying.

As a nurse, you will be exposed to all types of languages and ways of communicating. You must be alert to watching body language and understand what the patient is TRYING to tell you. Listen to HEAR and Watch to SEE, and pay attention to what your instincts are telling you.

It may be just through the spoken word…

Or through lots of little notes.

Your job will be to effectively and purposefully UNDERSTAND what the patient, and for that matter, what your peers, family, and friends, are trying to tell you. Listening and Hearing require practice and patience but are undeniably essential for you to be the best at your job. Be honest and sincere, be attentive and mentally present, and be able to summarize back to the patient what you THINK they are trying to tell or say to you to ensure that you ARE understanding them correctly.

In closing, pause before you speak if you need a moment to get your thoughts together because the primary point of communication is to have someone else understand you and you to understand them. Be patient…listen actively. Meet the patient on their level and do what you can to aid them in their purpose for visiting a nurse. You are the professional, use the skills and experience you have learned in order to make the patient’s medical visit successful.

COMMUNICATE TO UNDERSTAND THE PATIENT; WITHOUT JUDGEMENT, BUT WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND PATIENCE. And you might just learn something of value…