Communication, Collaboration, Informatics and Documentation

Communication in Nursing

Purpose: Builds trust, promotes healing, ensures safety, improves care.

Therapeutic: Intentional, ethical, helps not harms.

Relationships: Based on empathy, respect, authenticity.

Nurse’s Role: Assess, educate, counsel, advocate.

Critical Thinking: Use curiosity, confidence, integrity, humility.

Culture: Avoid bias, clarify meaning.

Levels of Communication: Intrapersonal

Self-talk; builds confidence, self-awareness, and control

Levels of Communication: Intrapersonal

One-on-one; foundation of nursing—validate meaning (teach-back).

Levels of Communication: Small-group

Team meetings or care conferences; organized, goal-focused.

Levels of Communication: Public

Speaking to groups; adapt tone, gestures, and media.

Levels of Communication: Electronic

Secure messaging/patient portals; professional tone, clear language.

Phases of the Helping Relationship: Pre-interaction

Prepare, gather info.

Phases of the Helping Relationship: Orientation

Build trust, define goals.

Phases of the Helping Relationship: Working

Implement care, achieve goals.

Phases of the Helping Relationship: Termination

Evaluate, closure.

Elements of Professional Communication

Appearance & Behavior: Clean, calm, confident, and prepared.

AIDET: Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explain, Thank

Courtesy: Knock, greet, use manners, explain purpose.

Use of Names: Always introduce yourself.

Trustworthiness: Be honest, reliable, and consistent.

Autonomy: Take responsibility, advocate for patients.

Assertiveness: Express yourself respectfully and confidently using “I” statements.

Techniques of Communication: Therapeutic

Active listening

Sharing observations, empathy, hope, humor, and feelings

Use of touch

Silence

Providing information

Clarifying

Focusing

Paraphrasing

Validation

Asking relevant questions

Summarizing

Self-disclosure

Confrontation

Techniques of Communication: Non-Therapeutic

Asking personal questions

Giving personal opinions

Changing the subject

Automatic responses

False reassurance

Sympathy

Asking the explanation

Approval or disapproval

Defensive responses

Passive or aggressive responses

Arguing

NCLEX TIP!

Avoid asking “why” questions when communicating with patients.

Reason: “Why” questions can sound judgmental or accusatory, making patients defensive. They do not promote therapeutic communication because they focus on justification rather than understanding.

Instead: Use open-ended, therapeutic questions that encourage sharing feelings or thoughts.

SBAR

Types of Collaboration:

Types of Collaboration:

Types of Collaboration:

Types of Collaboration: