Interpersonal Communication

a good pharmacist

needs a scientific mindset

a great pharmacist

- needs a scientific mindset and outstanding communication skills (including time for reflection)

communication skills

performance of specific tasks and behaviors

interpersonal skills

- inherently relational and process oriented

- focuses on the effect of communication on someone else

interpersonal communication components

non-verbal, empathy, assertiveness, interviewing, educating, conflict resolution, communication barriers, unique populations

what is interpersonal communication?

the process by which messages are generated and transmitted by one person, and subsequently received and translated by another (the receiver)

the five elements of interpersonal communication

1. sender

2. message

3. receiver

4. feedback

5. barriers

what comprises a message?

verbal (thoughts, ideas, emotions, information)

non-verbal components (emotions, attitudes, information) (non-verbal components are much more important)

the receiver's job

- decodes the message

- assigns the meaning to the message (context of past experiences)

- considers both the verbal and non-verbal components (may be subconscious)

feedback

when done properly, this ensures the intended meaning of the message was understood; role reversal -- this is the receiver's nonverbals back to the speaker of how well they received the message

barriers to communication

environmental, patient-related, personal, administrative

personal responsibilites in interpersonal communication

sender -- clear, respectful, caring, appropriate terminology, flexible, ask for feeback

receiver -- listen attentively, pay attention to non-verbals, flexible, provide feedback

comfort vs. safety

- do not worry about feeling like you are insulting someone's intelligence by asking them to repeat the directions or by giving them information most people would consider intuitive

- try not to embarrass the patient, but don't avoid difficult disucssions

- patient safety is our main concern!!!

which one of the following is considered a personal barrier to communication?

dysfunctional internal monologue

3 multiple choice options

which one of the following is true about non-verbal communication?

it conveys attitudes and emotions

3 multiple choice options

which one of the following is the most important component of successful communication?

the receiver translating the message as the sender intended it to be understood

3 multiple choice options

which one of the following is included in paralinguistics?

voice inflection

3 multiple choice options

which one of the following is considered appropriate body language for successful non-verbal communication?

varied eye contact

3 multiple choice options