In: Nursing
COMMUNICATION, KNOWLEDGE, LEADERSHIP, PROFESSIONALISM, and BUSINESS SKILLS. how these are affect nursing?
COMMUNICATION
Communication is the basic element of human interactions that allows people to establish, maintain and improve contacts with others. Nursing is a communicative intervention and is founded on effective communication . Effective communication plays an instrumental role throughout a patient’s entire healthcare experience, and a large portion of the responsibility falls on nurses. Responsible for relaying information to a number of individuals, nurses must be able to communicate clearly, especially during periods of intense stress. Good written and verbal communication in nursing is invaluable to all involved.
Mode of Communication
ü Verbal communication
ü Non-verbal communication
Verbal Communication
· the traditional way of communication byf mouth.
· Language is the chief vehicle of communication.
· "Effective verbal communication techniques" include
· Clarity and brevity
· Vocabulary
· Denotative and connotative meaning
· Pacing
· Timing and relevance
· Humour
· Verbal communication also involves written words.
Non-verbal communication
· communication occur otherthan words.
· facial expression, gesture, touch and vocal tone
ESTABLISHING GOOD COMMUNICATION
· Nurses possess a tremendous amount of medical knowledge and clinical expertise. Yet their greatest challenge and perhaps most vital task is communication. Every step of the way, from patient intake to patient discharge and beyond, nurses must communicate well to provide comprehensive care.
· Nurses who display courtesy, kindness and security to their patients through both their actions and words are generally more successful in establishing a good rapport. The nurses must go beyond simply demonstrating these niceties though. They need to approach every patient-nurse interaction with the intent to understand the patient’s concerns and experiences as well as demonstrate that they are open to truly hearing patient’s input.
· Nurses should allow sufficient time for each patient interaction. For example, patients may be hesitant, nervous, upset or otherwise incapacitated, which may extend the time needed to have a thorough discussion of the issue at hand. Patients may find a rushed conversation frustrating or even rude. It may hinder the ability of the nurse to establish open communication with the patient, thereby slowing down or negating the treatment process.
· Nurses must also be mindful of the location in which these interactions occur. Selecting an area that is free from distractions to the greatest extent possible may help to facilitate a more positive flow of communication. Additionally, this promotes confidentiality and protects the patient’s personal health information.
THE BENEFITS OF COMMUNICATION
· A good communication between nurses and patients have many benefits. First, it greatly contributes to the ability to provide patients with individualized care. Nurses who take the time to understand the unique challenges and concerns of their patients will be better prepared to advocate on their behalf and properly address issues as they arise. This greater focus on communication frequently leads to better patient outcomes as well.
· Second, patients who feel like they are receiving all of the nurse’s attention during an interaction are more likely to disclose the true extent of their feelings and symptoms much quicker. Patients may also feel more satisfaction with their care if the nurse provides them with undivided attention.
· Third, interpersonal communication can satisfy the innate needs of the patient as outlined in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Those needs include the feelings of safety, love and confidence, all of which are important during a patient’s treatment and recovery.
· Finally, research shows that communication in nursing not only benefits the patients, but the nurses as well. Nurses who communicate well with their coworkers tend to witness an improvement in morale as well as job satisfaction.
Principles to be followed by the nurse during communication:
· Communication should have objective and purpose.
· Should be appropriate to situation.
· Systematic analysis of the message, i.e., the idea, the thought to be communicated, so that one is clear about it.
· Selection and determination of appropriate language and medium of communication according to its purpose.
· Organizational climate, including appropriate timing and physical setting to convey the desired meaning of the communication.
· Consultation with others for planning of communication; involves special preparation.
· Message should convey something of value to the receiver in the light of his needs and interests.
· The communication action following a communication is important in effective communication as this speaks more than his/her words.
· The sender has to understand the receivers attitude and reaction by careful, alert and proper listening to ensure that the desired meaning of the message has been comprehended by the receiver.
· Credibility is very important.
· Communication programme should make use of existing facilities to the great extent possible and should avoid challenging them unnecessarily.
Importance of Communication in Nursing
· A critical component of nursing practice
· Good communication generate trust between nurse and clients.
· Provides professional satisfaction.
· Is a means for bringing about change, i.e. nurse listens, speaks and acts to negotiate changes that promotes client’s well-being.
· Is the foundation of the relationship between the nurse and other members of the health team.
· Helps to promote managerial efficiency.
· Provides basis for leadership action.
· Provides means of co-ordination.
KNOWLEDGE
Understanding knowledge use in everyday nursing practice is important to the improvement of educational preparation and quality in health care. The registered nurses' experiences in different parts of the health care system. Knowledge-based practice means that assessment and treatment approaches are appropriate and tailored to the patient's particular needs.
Types of nursing knowledge
Five discrete types of nursing knowledge that nurses use in practice emerged: personal practice knowledge, theoretical knowledge, procedural knowledge, ward cultural knowledge and reflexive knowledge.
What knowledge do nurses need?
· Cultural Awareness. This is essential to giving complete, patient-centered care.
· Professionalism.
· Attention to Detail.
· Critical Thinking.
· Compassion.
· Time Management.
· Communication
LEADERSHIP
A good nurse leader is someone who can inspire others to work together in pursuit of a common goal, such as enhanced patient care. An effective leader has a distinctive set of personal qualities: integrity, courage, initiative and an ability to handle stress.
A good nurse leader is someone who can inspire others to work together in pursuit of a common goal, such as enhanced patient care.
An effective leader has a distinctive set of personal qualities: integrity, courage, initiative and an ability to handle stress. This individual is often admired in their efforts to think critically, set goals and skillfully communicate and collaborate.
In today’s quickly evolving environment of healthcare, it’s time to develop creative leadership, i.e., the capacity to think and act beyond the boundaries limiting your potential and avoid professional derailment or faltering career moves.
The Relationship Between Leadership and Patient Outcomes
1. Patient satisfaction
2. Patient mortality, patient safety outcomes
3. Adverse events
4. Complications
5. Patient healthcare utilization
The Importance of Nursing Leadership
The current evidence reinforced findings with respect to the positive relationships between relational leadership styles and patient satisfaction and improved patient safety outcomes. Specifically, a clear relationship between relational leadership styles and lower patient mortality and reduced medication errors, restraint use, and hospital-acquired infections. Thereby, recruiting and retaining individuals into leader roles with the requisite emotional intelligence competencies that underpin relational leadership styles are critical to effective performance at all levels of organizations.
PROFESSIONALISM
Professionalism also positively impacts the atmosphere and efficiency of health care institutions. Encouraging and maintaining a culture of respect, cooperation, honesty, and integrity allows nurses to inspire close-knit team collaboration, unified by the common goal of providing the best possible care for patients.
Benefits of Professionalism
Exhibiting professionalism in the practice of nursing has many benefits. One of the most important is that it helps ensure and safeguard the health and well-being of patients. For example, treating patients respectfully and providing them with easy-to-understand facts can encourage them to make better personal health decisions. Maintaining collaborative relationships and clear lines of communication can enable medical teams to share patient information and plan treatment options more efficiently and securely. Providing team members opportunities to ask for help is a sound strategy that can help minimize the risk of harmful mistakes.
Skills Attributed to Professionalism
Professionalism fosters the development of many admirable soft skills. Nurses may learn these skills through their life and work experience, and develop them over the course of their careers. Examples include:
· Conflict resolution – This involves a professional’s ability to de-escalate a problem. It requires the nurse to consider the needs of everyone involved in the conflict, while communicating possible solutions with respect.
· Ethical thinking – This skill enables nurses to make value-based judgments that align with professional standards and moral codes, prioritizing the needs of patients and colleagues ahead of their own.
· Adaptability – This demonstrates the capacity to combine new information with education, experience, and professional guidelines to re-evaluate a situation and make changes that lead to more effective solutions.
· Leadership – A sought-after attribute, leadership is founded on excellent communication skills, attention to detail, respect, and resourcefulness. Professionals commonly build leadership skills as they move on to more senior roles in which they can guide others to provide higher levels of care.
· Collaboration – This is key to professionalism. Working with others and being able to communicate and cooperate is crucial to developing an efficient work environment that places patient needs at the forefront
Developing Professionalism
The development of professionalism in nursing is an ongoing process; there are always new and changing areas in which to improve. In the workplace, nurse professionals should self-reflect on their actions and integrate new, experience-based knowledge into their daily practices. When it comes to education, advanced nursing degree programs are an excellent way to provide additional avenues to sharpen professional skills.
Earning a DNP is a valuable pursuit for nurses who wish to elevate their leadership skills and develop new clinical expertise as their careers mature.
BUSINESS SKILLS
Nurses must show confidence in their abilities and take the time to dutifully convey information to patients so they understand their conditions and the interventions available to them. Through the use of soft skills, nurses can effectively communicate with others and boost patient satisfaction.
To work productively and effectively, employees in all industries such as healthcare, business, technology and retail need to have strong soft skills along with their job-related proficiencies. Examples of common soft skills are:
· Communication
· Critical thinking
· Leadership
· Positivity
· Professionalism
Why Is It Important That Nurses Have Skills?
A nurse's job is to deliver care and protect patient's rights in a professional manner. Nothing in healthcare is successfully accomplished without good written and verbal communication. Especially because nurses often work as part of a team that includes other nurses, staff, physicians and other healthcare workers. A multidisciplinary team may be filled with a variety of personalities so nurses must not be afraid to contribute their nursing expertise and advocate for patients.
Patients who feel dismissed or struggle to comprehend their diagnosis and treatment options may become confused, agitated or unresponsive, which can affect their well-being. Nurses must show confidence in their abilities and take the time to dutifully convey information to patients so they understand their conditions and the interventions available to them.
Through the use of soft skills, nurses can effectively communicate with others and boost patient satisfaction. Here are some ways nurses can build good relationships with patients.
· Demonstrate cultural sensitivity.
· Acknowledge a patient's values and preferences.
· Listen attentively.
· Make eye contact when talking to patients.
· Sit instead of standing over a patient lying in bed.
· Motivate and educate patients about managing their medical condition.
· Show empathy to patients.
· Use different methods such as conversations, pamphlets, videos and demonstrations to explain a patient's condition, what to expect during procedures, and how to carry out aftercare.
Nursing is a fast-paced profession so nurses have to be flexible to ever-changing circumstances. While nurses may be introduced to the concepts of soft skills in nursing school, it usually takes time to develop and refine them. Often, nurse leaders and managers act as role models and mentors to help RNs strengthen their soft skills. Also, nursing leadership can offer training programs to teach the soft skills that nurses need to connect with patients and provide quality care.