Question

This task will assess your knowledge and understanding of how professional and therapeutic communication relates to the provision of patient care. The written task requires you to discuss the following 3 topics:

1. Explain how therapeutic communication enables person-centred care;
2. Discuss the role of inter/intra-professional communication in the provision of clinical handover;
3. Critically reflect on the potential communication barriers that may affect safety and quality in healthcare.

Each question is worth equal marks and requires approximately 400 words (1200 words total +/- 10%)

Marking Criteria

1. Demonstrates understanding of how therapeutic communication relates to person-centred care
2. Demonstrates understanding of the role of inter- and intra-professional communication in the provision of clinical handover
3. Critically reflects on communication barriers that may affect safety and quality in healthcare
4. Incorporates relevant literature and learning resources to justify observations
5. Presents a coherent paper demonstrating correct terminology, formatting, grammar and referencing (Harvard style)

Answer 1

How therapeutic communication enables person-centered care

During a therapeutic communication interview the nurse-patient relationship must follow professional standard rules, which are necessary for the treatment that
will take place. One of the most important steps is to monitor and set limits on both the patient’s and the nurse’s behavior.

Some key determining features of how the relationship develops are the tone, nature, and focus of the encounter between patient and nurse. The established relationship plays a key role in the information they exchange depending on the degree of communication achieved, amount and quality of the information provided, feelings of partnership, respect of the nurse for the patient, and the ability of the nurse to motivate the patient. according
to some studies patients appreciate health care more after having established rapport with the nurse, are given explanations about their symptoms and information about the treatments prescribed; patients are able to ask questions and to discuss their ideas and those of the healthcare provider and perceive the physician as seeking
to build a partnership. Therapeutic communication focuses on advancing the physical and emotional well-being of a patient. it involves three general objectives: collecting information to determine illness, assessing and modifying behavior, and providing health education.
There are often two types of interviews used by mental health care professionals. The disorder centered interview and the patient-centered one. The first focuses on specific signs and symptoms for a disorder which are to be discovered, whereas the second focuses on live experiences and models of functioning of the patient. The health
care professional has to give opinions and insights which are always part of the therapy especially when dealing with the patient-centered interview. it is important to emphasize that even the interview is a process of therapy. The
mental health professional should bear in mind that sometimes patients are too diffident or reserved to unveil specific information and switching from one type to the other is often the key to a successful therapeutic communication.

Benefits of Intra/Interprofessional Communication

Interprofessional health care teams have become an integral part of the modern health care system. These teams enable interdependent health care providers and consumers to share needed expertise for making complex and important collaborative health care decisions. Effective teams also promote coordination among different specialists and key stakeholders in delivering the best possible care. However, effective communication is an essential part of effective health care teams and care must be taken to build meaningful, respectful, and cooperative relationships among team members.

Benefits of interprofessional collaboration—for nurses, other healthcare professionals, and patients—include improved patient outcomes, fewer preventable errors, reduced healthcare costs, and improved relationships with other disciplines. Effective communication among staff encourages effective teamwork and promotes continuity and clarity within the patient care team. Structured communication techniques can serve the same purpose that clinical practice guidelines do in assisting practitioners to make decisions and take action.

Barriers ineffective therapeutic communication

1. Physical Barriers

Physical barriers in the workplace include:

• Marked out territories, empires, and fiefdoms into which strangers are not allowed
• Closed office doors, barrier screens, and separate areas for people of different status
• Large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from others

2. Perceptual Barriers

It can be hard to work out how to improve your communication skills. The problem with communicating with others is that we all see the world differently. If we didn't, we would have no need to communicate: something like extrasensory perception would take its place.

3. Emotional Barriers

One of the chief barriers to open and free communications is emotional. The emotional barrier is comprised mainly of fear, mistrust, and suspicion. The roots of our emotional mistrust of others lie in our childhood and infancy when we were taught to be careful about what we said to others.

4. Cultural Barriers

When we join a group and wish to remain in it, sooner or later we will need to adopt the behavior patterns of the group.

5. Language Barriers

Our language may present barriers to others who are not familiar with our expressions, buzz-words, and jargon.

When we couch our communication in such language, it excludes others.

6. Gender Barrier

There are distinct differences between the speech patterns of men and women.

A woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000 words a day whereas a man speaks between 7,000 and 10,000.

In childhood, girls speak earlier than boys and at the age of three, have a vocabulary twice that of boys

7. Interpersonal Barrier

7. Interpersonal Barriers

There are six ways in which people can distance themselves from one another:

1. Withdrawal

Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is both refusal to be in touch and time alone.

2. Rituals

Rituals are meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real contact.

3. Pastimes

Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial activities.

4. Working

Work activities follow the rules and procedures of contact but no more than that.

5. Games

Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning and losing. They include "rackets" and "stamps".

6. Closeness

The purpose of interpersonal contact is closeness.