Conclusion about Promoting effective communication skills in nursing practice

• Effective communication is a core skill for all healthcare professionals and nursing staff in particular, since nurses spend more time with patients and relatives than any other healthcare professional.
• Developing rapport is integral to promoting good patient care.
• Supportive relationships with patients and carers develop from contact with warm, genuine and caring healthcare professionals.
• When nurses communicate effectively with interest, listen actively and demonstrate compassion, patients may be more likely to report their experiences as positive, even at times of distress and ill health.
• Nurses have an important role in the care of patients and their loved ones in a variety of healthcare settings. Therefore, every point of contact can be an opportunity to improve patient care and relationships using effective communication.

Complete time out activity 7

Consider how confident you are in dealing effectively with communication challenges encountered regularly. Ask a colleague to give you some feedback about what you do well and where you could develop your communication skills. Explore options for attending courses or workshops to develop skills and improve patient care, experience and outcomes.

Once completed your time out activity is saved and stored in "My Modules”.

Acronym

NICE: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Glossary

Communication: a process during which information is shared through the exchange of verbal and non-verbal messages, and where people create a relationship by interacting with each other.

Compassionate care: a relational activity that is concerned with the way we relate to other human beings when they are vulnerable.

Cues: anything you see or hear when you are interacting with another. Cues are sometimes obvious, such as crying, or subtle, for example, if a patient looks away every time treatment or results are talked about.

Empathy: the act of setting aside personal thoughts and feelings enables active listening to take place. In addition, empathy means being willing to try to perceive the world as it is for the other person.

Patient-centred care: supports active involvement of patients and their families to make decisions about individual options for care and treatment.

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