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Communication Part 1 Notes

Definition of Communication

  • Definition: A process of interaction between people in which symbols are used to create, exchange, and interpret messages about ideas, emotions, and states of mind (Giddens, 2025).
  • Key terms: Sender, Receiver, Message, Channel, Feedback.
  • Purpose: to establish shared meaning and understanding between individuals.
  • Context: foundational concept in professional nursing; underpins patient care, safety, and therapeutic relationships.

Communication Styles & Advocacy

  • Aggressive
    • Uses "you" statements, verbally abusive, controlling, interruptive.
  • Assertive
    • Honest and clear communication, advocates for self, uses "I" statements.
  • Passive
    • Conflict avoidance, anxious, hesitates to stand up for self.
  • Passive-aggressive
    • Acts out anger in an indirect way, feels powerless and resentful, sarcastic.
  • Significance: choice of style affects therapeutic effectiveness, patient trust, and team dynamics; advocacy is aligned with assertive communication.

Verbal Communication

  • Definition: Spoken or written words.
  • Considerations: vocabulary, credibility, interpretation, timing, relevance, pacing, tone.
  • Role in nursing: ensures clear instructions, patient education, and confirmation of understanding.

Nonverbal Communication

  • Definition: What a person is saying without using words.
  • Examples: appearance, posture, gait, facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, sounds, personal space.
  • Significance: often conveys emotions and attitudes; can reinforce or contradict spoken messages; crucial for interpreting patient comfort and engagement.

Communication Attributes

  • Communicate effectively and appropriately.
  • Build a nurse-to-patient relationship.
  • Gain the patient’s trust.
  • Be honest and open.
  • Demonstrate empathy and show a caring attitude.
  • Encourage the patient to verbalize feelings.
  • Overall aim: establish therapeutic rapport and support patient-centered care.

Nonverbal Therapeutic Communication Techniques

  • Listening
    • Active listening
    • Passive listening
    • Silence
    • Touch
  • Use: To convey presence, respect, and attention; helps patients feel heard and valued.
  • Connection: Enhances trust, reduces anxiety, and supports accurate assessment.

Verbal Therapeutic Communication Techniques

  • Encouragement
  • Questioning
    • Closed questioning – yes/no response
    • Open questions – provide more information (e.g., “Can you tell me more about that?”)
  • Purpose: Elicit information, validate feelings, and guide conversations without judgment.

Verbal Therapeutic Communication Techniques (Expanded)

  • Restating
  • Paraphrasing
  • Clarifying
  • Focusing
  • Reflecting
  • Stating observations
  • Offering information
  • Summarizing
  • Example phrases: “I want to make sure that I understand correctly.”

Nontherapeutic Communication

  • Examples of statements to avoid (can hinder trust or provoke defensiveness):
    • “Everything will be fine” (false reassurance)
    • “You will be okay” (false reassurance)
    • “Why did you do that?” (probing; can make patient defensive)
    • “Why didn’t you see the doctor sooner?” (probing; can make patient defensive)
    • “Don’t worry” (false reassurance)
    • “I feel sorry for you.” (pity; may be patronizing)
    • “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” (passes judgment)
  • Implications: Nontherapeutic communication can erode trust, hinder disclosure, and compromise care; ethical practice requires avoiding judgment and undue assumptions.

HOODD: Factors that Affect Communication

  • Environment
  • Language differences
  • Cultural diversities
  • Vision, speech, or hearing impairments
  • Developmental or cognitive disorders
  • Notes: These factors influence how messages are encoded, transmitted, and decoded; awareness supports safer, more inclusive interactions.
  • (A, D represented in the slide imagery; emphasis on inclusive, accessible communication.)

Communication Across the Lifespan

  • Infants: Understanding nonverbal cues is essential.
  • Toddlers & Preschoolers: Use one-step directions up to age ~4; thereafter can handle two- to three-step directions.
    • Pictures can be helpful in communication.
  • School-Age Children: Use words and concepts they understand; keep explanations developmentally appropriate.
  • Adolescents: Practice active listening and maintain a nonjudgmental attitude; respect growing autonomy.
  • Older Adults: May need assistive devices; minimize distractions; speak in short and simple sentences; allow time for responses; avoid “elderspeak.”
  • Practical implications: Tailor communication to developmental level, cognitive status, and sensory abilities to ensure understanding and safety.

Related Concepts

  • Safety
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Patient-centered care
  • Mood disorders
  • Professional identity
  • These concepts underpin how communication integrates with broader nursing practice and health outcomes.

Questions?

  • Contact: sbenevenga@hnmcson.org

References

  • Assessment Technologies Institute. (2023). Fundamentals for nursing (111h ed.). Assessment Technologies Institute.
  • Cooper, K. & Gosnell, K. (2023). Foundations of nursing. (9th ed.). Elsevier.
  • Giddens, J. F. (2025). Concepts for nursing practice. (4th ed.). Elsevier.
  • Pearson Education. (2023). Nursing: A concept-based approach to learning (4th ed., Vol. 2). Pearson.
  • No audio

Additional notes from the transcript

  • Page 9 and Page 17 show the number 10000 on the slides, which appears to be a placeholder or slide identifier in this transcript. This is noted here as a contextual reference: 10000.
  • Assigned readings span Giddens (2025) Chapter 44 and sections within Pearson (2023) e-book, including Lifespan Considerations and Therapeutic Communication (Table 38.4).
  • The material emphasizes the distinction between therapeutic vs nontherapeutic communication, and the impact of communication style on patient outcomes, trust, and safety.