Effective Communication

1. Effective Communication Objectives: Essential Questions: How does the communication process affect health care delivery? What are barriers to communication? How do you adapt communication to the needs of the patient? What is active listening and why is it important when communicating with the patient? • Identify the components of effective communications • Organize information needed to complete a task • Compare communication skills needed in different health care professions • Develop verbal communication skills • Adapt communication to the needs of the individual.

2. Communication Pre-Quiz • What 3 things must be present for communication to occur? • Give some examples of barriers to communication, • What is non-verbal communication and give some examples. • What is active listening? Why is it important in health care?

3. Communication in Health Care • Verbal/nonverbal exchange of messages, ideas, thoughts, feelings & info • Is a process

4. Communication in Health Care • Three things must be present • Sender: desires to transmit info to another person/group • Receiver: person or group for whom info is intended • Message: info that must be transmitted • Other elements: • Frame of reference • Feedback

5. Verbal Communication • The use of language & words • Used most often • Most effective form • Instant feedback • Ends confusion • Goals in health care • Build rapport • Get info from patients • Give instructions to patients • Confirm understanding

6. Written Communication • Form of verbal communication • Allows writer to organize thoughts • Must be: • Accurate and concise • Free of grammar, spelling, punctuation errors • Use appropriate language

7. Tying Your Shoes Activity Questions Write a self-reflection on your experience. Include the following and give details! • Was this a difficult activity to do? Why or why not? • What problems did you encounter? • Why is it so hard to give verbal directions only? • Did anyone emerge as a leader? Who was it and what did they do?

8. Nonverbal Communication Objectives: Essential Questions” What are the characteristics of nonverbal communication? Why is nonverbal communication important in health care? How does touch affect communication with the patient? • Characteristics of nonverbal communications • How physical behaviors affect communication • How touch is an important means of communication

9. Nonverbal Communication • All messages that are not expressed as words • Used in addition to or as a substitute for language • Characteristics: • Primary means of expression • Constantly occurring • Dependent on context • More believable than verbal communication

10. Nonverbal Communication • Physical behaviors: any movement of face, hands, feet, trunk, or other body parts that communicate a message • Facial expressions • Eye contact • Posture and gait • Gestures • Physical Appearance • Expressed by grooming habits • Clothing sends message of type of occupation

11. Nonverbal Communication • Vocal behaviors: reinforces the meaning of the message • Examples: • Pitch • Range of voice • Volume • Rate/pace • Quality

12. Nonverbal Communication • Proximity: physical space between people • Sends strong messages about thoughts and reactions • Personal distance: 18” to 4 ft • Social distance 4-12 ft • Influences • Status • Culture • Content of interaction • Gender • Age

13. Nonverbal Communication • Touch: one of the most personal & powerful means of communication • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SpfXZf6bm4 • Essential in healing process • Kind & amount that is appropriate varies with culture, family background, age, gender • Meaning of touch depends on type, situation, culture and who is doing touching • Watch for touch avoidance

14. Active Listening • Another important part of communication • Listening is paying attention to and hearing what person has to say • Common skills: • Show interest, have a positive attitude • Maintain eye contact • Avoid interrupting • Avoid person prejudices • Watch for nonverbal contradictions

15. Active Listening • Restatement: • Repeat message back to sender in their own words • Verifies correct message received & understood • Reflection: • Responding with empathy • Clarification: • Receiver asks question to get a clearer explanation • Clear up confusion about message

16. Barriers to Communication

17. Emotions & Attitudes • Avoid extreme emotions • Attitudes include: • Prejudice • Selective comprehension • Complacency

18. Preconceptions • Similar to prejudice • Types: • Physical appearance • Ethnicity • Education level • Income level

19. Resistance to Change • With self or with patient • Be flexible and open-minded • Communicate the benefits of change in a positive way to patients

20. Self-Absorption • Self-preoccupation may miss message • Focus 100% on patient

21. Language • May not speak same language • Find an interpreter or family member • Speak slowly, use simple words, gestures or pictures • Medical terminology • Use language easily understood

22. Health Beliefs • Beliefs about health practices and treatments may conflict with traditional medicine • Patient may also supplement the prescribed treatment with their own culturally-accepted methods • Be sensitive about cultural differences

23. Eye Contact • Differing cultural views on what is or is not appropriate eye contact • In some cultures direct eye contact is viewed as disrespectful. • Respect and adjust to the patient’s cultural differences

24. Religion • Organized belief in a higher power • Influence many aspects of people’s lives including birth, life, diet, illness, and death • Be aware of common religious influences

25. Hearing Challenges • Deaf patients: • Use sign language • Use body language and gestures • Face patient when speaking • Hard of hearing patients: • Face patient when speaking • Speak clearly at moderate pace • Keep sentences short and easy

26. Vision Challenges • Blind patients: • Speak softly • Announce presence • Describe procedures • Low-vison patients: • Lighting • Bigger body gestures

27. Physical Challenges • Be seated when speaking with person in wheelchair • Clear clutter • Patient may not communicate well if ill or in pain

28. Mental State • Be prepared to treat mentally or emotionally challenged patients with calmness • Patient may be • on strong medication • Upset or confused • Experiencing stress

29. Environment • Noise and activity levels • Control noise level when speaking with patient • Physical arrangement and comfort • Provide for privacy • Room temp • Time • Hurried conversation may lead to missing patient info • Patient feels unimportant

31. Barriers to Effective Communication • Barriers to receiving the message • Background noise or interruptions • Ability to read • Medications • Age • Level of education • Limited English • Visual, hearing, hearing impairment • Attitudes & prejudices • Trust in sender

32. Barriers to Effective Communication • Understanding the Message • A shared understanding of a message – 7% of a message is conveyed by words – 38% by tone of voice – 55% by nonverbal behavior • Body language, facial expressions & inappropriate responses may suggest lack of understanding • Rephrasing message will clarify for receiver • Receivers’ attitude & prejudices may interfere • Utilize active listening: reflective statements & clarification • Maintain eye contact, open mind

33. Barriers to Effective Communication • Barriers to transmitting the message • Terms patient unable to understand • Meaningless terms • Tone & pitch of voice • Speed of speaking • Use of slang or w/ more than one meaning

34. Human Needs Objectives: Essential Questions: How is communication affected when the needs of the patient are not met? How can you meet the needs of the patient when they are in the hospital? • Effectively identify the needs of the patient through the use of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs • How needs are met. • Ways to meet the needs of the patient.

35. HUMAN NEEDS • Needs motivate a person to act or behave in certain ways • Needs must be met in order to live fulfilling life

36. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

37. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs • Physiological (needs of the body) • Required for life • Oxygen • Food • Water • Elimination of waste • Protection from extreme temperature • Sleep • Sensory and motor stimulation

38. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs • Safety and Security • Need to feel secure in environment • Free from anxiety and fear

39. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs • Love and Affection • Need for friendship, social acceptance, love • Sexuality

40. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs • Esteem • Respect from others • Self-respect • Pride • Meaningful career

41. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs • Self-Actualization • All other needs have been met • Fulfilling one’s potential • Compassionate • Ethical • Creative

42. Meeting The Need • Direct: • Have realistic goals • Work hard • Cooperate with others

43. Meeting The Need • Indirect: • Relieves tension/frustration from unmet needs • Reduces the particular need through defense mechanisms

44. Defense Mechanisms • Rationalization: using a logical reason or socially acceptable explanation that makes a behavior seem appropriate • Projection: attributing one’s own undesirable qualities to another person • Compensation: redirecting of goals • Displacement: redirecting a behavior from original person to another person or object

46. The End