Communication in Nursing - Vocabulary Flashcards

Core Purpose of Therapeutic Communication

Therapeutic communication is a lifelong learning process for nurses; promotes personal growth and helps patients achieve health goals.

Key for establishing and maintaining nurse–patient relationships.

Improves patient safety, outcomes, and satisfaction.

Interpersonal Caring and Relationships

Communication establishes caring, healing relationships; ability to relate is essential.

Includes posture, expressions, gestures, words, and attitudes; can heal or hurt.

Developing Communication Skills

Critical thinking

Perseverance and creativity

Self-confidence

Humility

Integrity

Perception, Bias, and Emotional Intelligence

Thinking influenced by perception (senses, culture, education).

Perceptual bias affects interpretation.

Emotional intelligence plays a role in effective communication.

Levels of Communication

Intrapersonal: Occurs within a person (self-talk).

Interpersonal: One-to-one interaction.

Small group: Among a small number of people (goal-oriented).

Public: Interaction with an audience.

Electronic: Use of technology (e.g., email, EHR).

Elements of the Communication Process

Referent: Initiating event or thought.

Sender and receiver: Encode/deliver and decode/interpret messages.

Message: Content (verbal, nonverbal, symbols).

Channels: Means of conveying (visual, auditory, tactile).

Feedback: Receiver's message returned to sender.

Interpersonal variables: Factors unique to sender/receiver (culture, education, emotion).

Environment: Physical and emotional setting.

Model is circular/transactional in nature.

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Verbal
: vocabulary, denotative/connotative meaning, pacing, intonation, clarity/brevity, timing/relevance.

Nonverbal
: personal appearance, posture/gait, facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, sounds, territoriality/personal space (0−1.50−1.5 ft intimate, 1.5−41.5−4 ft personal, 4−124−12 ft social, >12>12 ft public), metacommunication.

Nurse–Patient Relationship and Phases

Caring relationships are the foundation of clinical nursing practice.

Therapeutic relationships create a psychological climate for positive change and growth.

Phases:

Preinteraction: Before meeting (review records, plan).

Orientation: Initial meeting (establish trust, roles, needs, contract).

Working: Core of relationship (problem-solving, teaching, counseling).

Termination: End of relationship (review progress, transition, closure).

Motivational Interviewing

Nonjudgmental, guided communication to encourage patient sharing (thoughts, beliefs, fears) to support behavior change.

Professional Nursing Relationships

Nurse–family relationships: Support, education, participation.

Nurse–health care team relationships: Collaboration, information sharing, advocacy.

Nurse–community relationships: Health education, advocacy, public health.

Case Study Overview: Roberto

Roberto (Puerto Rican, HIV/AIDS) improved from hospice to home care; focus on quality of life and cultural context.

Nurse Suzanne applied culturally informed, patient-centered, end-of-life care.

Through the Patient’s Eyes

Gather information, synthesize, apply critical thinking.

Consider physical/emotional factors, developmental stage, sociocultural factors, and gender.

Nursing Diagnosis for Communication

Difficulties with attending, listening, responding, or self-expression.

Inability to articulate or inappropriate verbalization.

Difficulty forming words.

Difficulty with comprehension.

Goals, Outcomes, and Planning

Goals and outcomes should be specific and measurable.

Prioritize care and promote teamwork and collaboration.

Therapeutic Communication Techniques

Active listening: Verbal and nonverbal attentiveness.

SOLER: Sit facing; Open posture; Lean toward; Establish eye contact; Relax.

Sharing observations; Empathy; Hope; Humor; Feelings; Touch; Silence.

Providing information; Clarifying; Focusing; Paraphrasing; Validation; Asking relevant questions; Summarizing; Self-disclosure; Confrontation.

Nontherapeutic Communication Techniques

Asking personal questions; Giving personal opinions; Changing the subject.

Automatic responses; False reassurance; Sympathy.

Asking for explanations; Approval or disapproval.

Defensive or passive/active responses; Arguing.

Adapting Communication for Special Populations

Cannot speak clearly: Use alternative methods (whiteboards, pictures, devices), patience.

Cognitive impairment: Simple, concrete language, repetition, minimize distractions.

Hearing impairment: Face patient, speak clearly/slowly (no shouting), visual aids, interpreters.

Visual impairment: Announce presence, explain procedures, cautious touch.

Unresponsive patients: Assume hearing, explain care, talk as if conscious, gentle touch.

Do not speak English: Use professional medical interpreter (avoid family), simple gestures, visual aids.