Effective Communication in Nursing is very essential to meet not only the expectation of patients toward Healthcare services but also to help achieve departmental or organizational goals and objectives. Miscommunication is one of the leading causes of medical errors that may bring harm or permanent damage to patients. Emphasizing the use of effective communication in the healthcare setting lessen the occurrence of such errors.

1. Importance of Effective
Communication
Mark Ronnes Reyes
Nursing Educator
Abha International Private Hospital

3. Communication in Healthcare
• Nurses must constantly express
patient needs to physicians, write
clear yet concise notes and highlight
the events of the shift and how
patients are responding to treatment
and care. Thus, effective
communication is most important
during patient interactions.

4. WHAT IS COMMUNICATION
• A process of exchanging
information and the
process of generating
and transmitting
messages between two
or more individuals. It is
the most primary aspect
of a nurse-patient
interaction.

6. SMCR-SENDER-MESSAGES-CHANNEL-RECEIVER
PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION IN NURSING
• 1. Motivation, Collaboration, Coordination in the
employees and patients
• 2. Improve Nurse-Patient relationships
• 3. Transfer information between patients and all
classes of employees
• 4. To interpret and adopt policies in the organization

7. SMCR-SENDER-MESSAGES-CHANNEL-RECEIVER
PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION IN NURSING
• 5. To recruit, select, train and develop the personnel
in the organization.
• 6. Encourage the participation in decision making.
• 7. To boost group morale of workers
• 8. Ensure patient’s safety and job satisfaction
• 9. Help grievance procedure and disciplinary action

8. BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION IN NURSING
• 1. Failure to perceive patient as human being
• 2. Inappropriate comments and Questions
• 3. Using questions requiring only yes or no answers
• 4. Using questions that probe for information
• 5. using judgmental comments
• 6. Changing the subject
• 7. Giving false assurance
• 8. Gossip and rumors
• 9. Aggressive interpersonal behavior

9. IMPACT OF GOOD COMMUNICATION IN
NURSING
To be a successful nurse,
excellent communication skills
are required. The ability to
communicate and connect with
patients and other health care
professionals can help build
relationship, prevent mistakes
and provide a higher level of
care.

10. According to a 2013 study published in the
journal of Patient safety, as many as 440,000
people die each year from preventable
medical errors. Deaths due to medical
errors, The Joint Commission estimates that
80% involves miscommunication, and its
analysis revealed that communication was
one of the top three leading causes of
sentinel events, a patient safety event
unrelated to the patient’s illness or
condition that results in death, permanent
harm or another qualifying negative
outcome.
IMPACT OF GOOD COMMUNICATION IN NURSING

11. • Increases in nursing communication can
lessen medical errors and make a
difference in positive patient outcomes.
A few of nursing communication theories
like in Peplau’s Interpersonal relations
Theory focuses on the nurse-client
relationship and the therapeutic process
that takes place. It involves factors like
environment, in addition to attitudes,
practices and beliefs in the dominant
culture.
IMPACT OF GOOD COMMUNICATION IN NURSING

12. Peplau’s Interpersonal relations Theory STAGES
• Orientation Phase- The nurses engages the patient in treatment
and the patient can ask question and receives explanation and
information.
• Identification Phase- The patient and nurse begin to work
together and this interaction provides trust, and acceptance as the
patient becomes an active participant in treatment.
• Exploitation Phase- the patient takes advantage of all the
services offered, exploiting the nurse-patient relationship to
address treatment goals.
• Resolution Phase- due to effective communication the patient
needs are met and moves toward full independence. The patient
no longer needs help and relationship ends, after discharge..

13. PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION- can be defined as a transaction
and message creation. It assists in the performance of
accurate, consistent and easy nursing work, ensuring
both the satisfaction of the patient and the
protection of the health professional. When health
care professionals are not trained in communication
skills, they face more difficulties separating work from
their personal life, tending to transfer problems from one
side to the other. Nobody can be said that he/she cannot
communicate.

14. • By listening, the nurses assess the situation and
the problems of the patient and improve the
process of care needed. When there is good
personal relationship between the nurse and
the patient it may lead to things with kindness
like questioning and information is provided
by patient openly. It does not scare the patient
instead it demonstrates interests, creates feelings of
acceptance, trust and harmonious relationship.
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

15. Communication can happen without words.
This is Non-verbal communication and is expressed
by facial expressions, gestures and posture.
Listening is important in communication. It is
responsible nursing practice and requires
concentration of attention and mobilization of
all the senses for the perception of verbal and
non-verbal messages made by the patient.
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

16. • The Therapeutic relationship is an
important prerequisite to effective
communication between health care
providers and the patient. This
relationship between the two include the
ability to express sincere concern for the
care of the patient and the patient
becomes partaker of this interest.
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

17. SPEAKINGWITH THE PATIENT
• The communication which initially started by
the nurse and the patient is a process that
begins with the first contact of the two and
lasts as long as the therapeutic relationship is
present. The nurse who wants to create the
right relationship with the patient must win
him/her from the first moment when the
conversation is held appropriately.

18. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Common Barriers to Effective Communication for
Patient and Healthcare Providers
-FOR PATIENTS-
• to include noise, lack of privacy and lack of
control over who is present,
• Fear and Anxiety- related to being judged,
becoming emotional or becoming weak
• Inability in explaining feelings and attempting to
appear strong for someone’s else benefit

19. Common Barriers to Effective Communication for
Patient and Healthcare providers
-FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL
BARRIERS-
• include environmental items like time or support staff
conflict and high workload
• Fear and Anxiety related to causing the patient to be
distressed by talking or responding to questions
• Lack of skills or strategies for coping with difficult
emotions, reactions or questions.
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

21. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONSKILLS
1. NON VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
• characterized by facial
expressions, gestures, posture and
physical barriers such as distance
from interlocutor. Non verbal
communication must agree with
verbal communication.

22. 2. LISTENING
• -Responsible nursing practice and requires
concentration of attention and mobilization
of all senses for the perception of verbal and
nonverbal messages made by the patient. By
listening, nurses can be attentive to the needs
of the patient and integrate care according to
the patient’s evolving needs.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONSKILLS

23. 3. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
• Compassion and care, nurses can develop good
personal relationships with the ability to ASK
questions with kindness and provide information
that does not scare, that demonstrates interest,
creates feelings of acceptance, trust and a
harmonious relationship
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONSKILLS

24. TEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR NURSES TO
MASTER
• 1. SPEAK SLOWLY-Take time to speak slowly and
carefully and the words maybe less mistakes by others
• 2. SPEAK CLEARLY NOT LOUDLY- When
communicating with some people, especially those who
are older, the inclination might be to raise your voice
dramatically in an effort to make them understand you.
Instead of speaking louder, try to speak with clarity
especially when communicating with older patients.

25. • 3. AVOID USING SLANG WORDS- A common
mistake that many health professionals make is to use
bigger and more complicated words. Slang words are
not fitting or appropriate as to their age and
situation.
• 4. REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCE- Choose
your words to fit the situation and audience. ( like in
the words drug and medication)
TEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR NURSES TO
MASTER

26. • 5. STOP AND LISTEN- One of the most
important skills is the ability to stop and listen actively
and ethically to what being said by the other person.
• 6. REFLECT- To make sure that the communication
is flowing, learn the simple trick of reflecting on what
the person is saying to you. Simply repeat what has
been said in your own words, back to the person.
TEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR NURSES TO
MASTER

27. • 7. USE BODY LANGUAGE- Despite the words
you use, the majority of human communication is
through the body language in your face, hands and
posture etc.
• 8. KNOW YOUR COMMUNICATION
ROADBLOCK- If you know that a person crying
will effectively make your communication
disintegrate then to try to actively practice ways to
manage these situations better.
TEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR NURSES TO
MASTER

28. • 9 CONSIDER LEARNING A FOREIGN
LANGUAGE- Learning a new language puts you in
better touch with your native tongue and can open
your eyes to the way you use the words you already
know.
• 10. DON’T FORGET THE METHODS OF
COMMUNICATION- In addition to speaking and
listening, don’t forget that there are other skills that
you should work on, such as reading and writing.
TEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR NURSES TO
MASTER

30. • It’s not all about Talking, it’s how you
Express and Deliver what you want,
then things are done with knowledge,
skills and right attitude on the part of the
nurse.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.