Professional Communication Skills for Patient Centered Care

Question: Discuss about the Professional Communication Skills for Patient Centered Care. Answer: Introduction Communication is important in the society. The health sector is one area that highly depends on it. Communication is defined as the sending and receiving of information between two or more people. It is a two way process that depends on passing of information and receiving its feedback(McCabe Timmins, 2013). In the nursing field communication is integral for effective health care delivery as it facilitates accurate identification of patients problems. It also promotes the patients own understanding of the issue, illness or disease which helps in promoting treatment adherence. Effective communication is associated with both provider and patient satisfaction as it brings about therapeutic relationship between the two(Maguire Pitceathly, 2002). Effective communication is characterized by a number of skills. These are verbal and non-verbal skills, patient centered care and documentation of care. Verbal communication This is a form of communication expressed through words. It can be written or spoken. The language used in verbal communication is highly dependent on ones intellect, educational background, geographical background and ethnic origin. Before communicating or addressing an audience, one should weigh the audience in order to use the appropriate language. Verbal communication is seen during interactions with the patient, family members and other staff, writing care plans and recording of progress. It is also seen in public speaking, written publications and designing brochures, posters and signs(Hill, Hall, Glew, 2014). In the case of Bruce OGrady, verbal communication is first utilized during introduction between the nurse and Bruce. This is key in the establishment of a therapeutic relationship as it helps in reducing ones anxiety and brings about trust making open up during the discussion. During assessment, both open and closed ended questions are used in order to deduce and understand the underlying issue, the causes and risk factors and possible interventions. The findings are recorded so that other health care professionals can access it. This information can also be presented to the healthcare team through oral presentation. Non-Verbal Communication This is a form of communication whereby information is transmitted from one person to another without the use of words. It is commonly known as body language. There are many forms of non-verbal communication. First we have touch. This is persona and the meaning usually differs based on cultural background, religion, geographical and ethnic origin and many other factors. What can be defined as polite in one culture, can be considered improper in another. It is essential in the communication of feelings and emotions. It helps people connect and expresses feelings of comfort through affirmation, increasing ones self esteem and providing reassurance. On the contrary it can also express feels of anger, frustration and aggression(Hill, Hall, Glew, 2014). Facial expressions are another form of non-verbal communication. This includes the use of our faces to communicate. They are important in the expression of feelings. For example; smiling, laughing, grimacing, rolling of the eyes etc. Understanding the facial expression helps in the identification of some diseases like Parkinsons disease where this function is inhibited(Hill, Hall, Glew, 2014). Gestures are the other form and they involve the use of ones body in passing information to another person. Examples include waving, thumbs up, fist bump etc. Gestures are mostly used with people who cannot express themselves through words. These people include the deaf and dumb whose main communication style is the use of sign language. Ones knowledge of this helps one to cater for a broad spectrum of people. A registered nurse needs to understand non-verbal communication as they help express more information than words do. People at times tend to lie but their non-verbal cues help in the discernment of the truth. Non-verbal cues in our scenario will be most helpful during assessment of Mr. Bruce and also in the discernment of his needs and wants. Effective documentation Documentation helps in the recording and also ensures the accountability of persons. Effective documentation helps the patient and the healthcare providers to understand the key issue. Assessment, findings, interventions and patients progress are documented. This is a key factor in interprofessional collaboration as health care professionals can access the necessary information for provision of care. This information can be written or generated electronically(Hill, Hall, Glew, 2016). Documentation in our case will have information of Bruces underlying issue of deep chesty coughs and the causes of precipitating factors like smoking, alcohol use, unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle. This information would help in diagnosis and the planning of management. Patient centered care This is a current trend in healthcare where the patient is a participant who is invested and a part of every step of care. Patient centered care is most efficient in bringing about behavioral and lifestyle changes in patients. It is embodied in the principles of autonomy, respect, dignity, empathy, choice and the care(Levett-Jones Barraclough, 2013). A patient is viewed as a unique participant with different factors, strengths and resources. In our scenario, patient centered care would have been very efficient in bringing about both behavioral and lifestyle changes in Bruce. Bruce engages in smoking, drinking alcohol, sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating behavior which might cause or exacerbate the situation. Through patient centered care, a management plan can be developed in regards with his strengths and resources so as to ensure treatment adherence. Through therapy, Bruce can be guided on healthy eating and a more active lifestyle either through walks, stretches and jogging so as strengthen his bone mass and be more fit. Therapy can also be offered in order to reduce or stop the smoking and alcohol use. Conclusion Effective communication through verbal and non-verbal cues, effective documentation and patient-centered care help foster a therapeutic relationship between the healthcare provider and the patient as there is respect, autonomy, empathy, dignity and trust in provision of care. Together they help in promoting effective communication. The inclusiveness of the patient in management also helps focus the plan from the disease to the person which helps in treatment adherence and relapse prevention. References Hill, R., Hall, H., Glew, P. (2014). Fundamentals of Nursing and Midwifery : A Person- Centred Approach to Care. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health. Hill, R., Hall, H., Glew, P. (2016). Fundamentals of Nursing and Midwifery: a person-centred approach to care. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health. Levett-Jones, T., Barraclough, B. (2013). Critical Conversations for Patient Safety: An Essential Guide for Health Professionals. Melbourne: Pearson Australia. Maguire, P., Pitceathly, C. (2002). Key communication skills and how to acquire them. bmj , 697. McCabe, C., Timmins, F. (2013). Communication Skills for Nursing Practice. Hampshire: Macmillan International Higher Education.