Introduction

Nursing is a profession that entails providing collaborative care for sick or well individuals of all
ages and in a variety of settings. It involves the use of scientific knowledge, technical abilities, as
well as interpersonal skills. These multifaceted tasks which nurses are responsible for, means
that they need to maintaining effective communication with colleagues, patients and their
families. This essay explores the importance of communication in nursing by evaluating four
areas of communication in the profession, using a patch work approach. The areas to be
appraised include why good communication skills matter in nursing, verbal communication,
listening skills, and body language.
PATCH ONE: WHY GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS MATTER IN NURSING
Communication can be defined as the exchange of information, thoughts and feelings among
people using speech, signs or other mutually understood means (1). If communication is not done
effectively, information may be lost or misunderstood, and in some situations lead to friction
between the entities. Nurses are critical in the delivery of essential health services, because
among other functions, they serve as the liaison between medical services and the patients
receiving them. In order to perform this role, having good communication skills is pertinent to
ensure a smooth working relationship. According to the Royal College of Nursing, good
communication is beneficial to patients in many ways: it helps patients feel in control, it makes
patients feel valued, and it helps patients feel at ease (2). Being able to deliver these three
benefits to a patient puts him or her in a good mental state, thus empowering a nurse to perform
other critical functions in delivering health care.
PATCH TWO: VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Verbal communication is the most frequently used form of communication in the nursing
profession because nurses are always in the frontline of care duties. Verbal communication is
associated with spoken words, and is often viewed as the clearest means of passing on
information (3). It is important for nurses to have a good command of this form of
communication because according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, nurses are expected to
communicate clearly and effectively in English (4). The Royal College of Nursing further
qualifies the nature of verbal communication expected from nurses, stating that it must be
courteous, honest, encouraging, and with an appropriate tone (5). For a nurse, verbal
communication is done in a variety of scenarios ranging from in private with the patient, to
addressing the patient’s family or public groups. Therefore, it is pertinent to use the appropriate
language in each scenario while respecting people’s right to privacy and confidentiality.
Verbal communication in nursing is not limited in use to simply exchanging information. Studies
have shown that verbal communication, when used adeptly, provides significant therapeutic
effects on a patient (6, 7). Furthermore, research in the USA have shown that using certain verbal
communication techniques are potent in improving the condition of adults experiencing
moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (8). These studies buttress a case for nurses to be
frequently trained and exercise high levels of proficiency in verbal communication methods so as
to deliver quality health care to patients. In addition to the benefits that patients gain, nurses also
enjoy positive impact of verbal communication skills training. Surveys have shown a significant
increase in job satisfaction and quality of life of nurses, as well as patients who receive health
care for these trained professionals (9). The adoption of communication skills training as an
obligatory and continuous part of professional training for nurses offers a much improved
healthcare delivery environment that is beneficial to both professionals and patients.
PATCH THREE: LISTENING SKILLS
Communication in the nursing profession is not just limited to giving out information but also
deals with how well nurses listen. The importance of listening in nursing is further emphasised as
‘Listen to people and respond to their preferences and concerns’ is one of the standards flagged
up on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s code of conduct (4). Listening is vital to nursing
because it affects the quality of interaction between healthcare staff and patients, which
influences patient’s psychological functioning, quality of life and adherence to treatment (10).
Nurses need to exercise a high level of attentiveness because patient’s will constantly be giving
feedback during treatment and in other situations. Poor listening can lead to the wrong
assumptions to be made, thereby posing a risk to the patient’s wellbeing. There is a need for
nurses to consciously develop listening skills, because evidence has shown that these skills do
not improve simply because nurses use them all the time (11, 12). In response to this demand,
several professionals have come up with listening approaches and models, one of which is the
SAGE & THYME model developed by Michael Connolly – a Macmillan consultant nurse in
supportive and palliative care. This model provides a structure by which nurses can acquire and
practice good listening skills that eventually improves healthcare delivery efficiency (13).
PATCH FOUR: BODY LANGUAGE
Body language is a term often used to classify all forms of non-verbal communication. It is said
to be representative of interests, feelings and engagement in whatever ongoing communication.
According to the Royal College of Nursing, there are four elements of body language in
communication with patients: body posture, eye contact, facial expression, and touch (14). From
the moment a nurse enters a patient’s environment, these four elements should be used to
buttress any verbal communication being given. In the event that verbal and non-verbal
communication coming from a nurse are misaligned, then it creates room for misunderstanding
and distrust between a patient and the nurse. The importance of body language in nursing can be
summarised by a statement in an article by Lindsey Lynch: “It is less important that they hear
what you say and more important that they understand what you mean.” (15). The impact of
body language in communication with patients puts a responsibility on all nurses to be self-
conscious at all times, and always convey confidence, certainty and credibility when caring for
patients.
REFERENCES
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