Effective Communication in Australian Nursing Care

Answer

Effective Communication in Australian Nursing Care

Therapeutic communication is a face-face process of interaction that focuses on more advanced physical and emotional well-being of a patient. As a nurse, I am expected to use therapeutic communication skills to give the desired support and information to patients. However, I may be required to use a variety of techniques in order to accomplish the nursing goals assigned to me in communicating with patients (Jasmine, 2009).  It is, therefore, the duty of collection nurses to attend to the therapeutic nature of interaction with patients. Caring is the sore essence of a nursing practitioner and for that reason I ought to develop a good patient-nurse relationship for good communication to exist (O’Toole, 2012).  Note that therapeutic interpersonal relationship is the process in which nurses provide healthcare to their patients who are in dire need of psychosocial help.

Effective communication in nursing helps the vulnerable patients to cope with their current health situation. However, the act of maintaining effective communication in the healthcare system where there are vulnerable patients is not easy and requires advanced interpersonal skills to help those in need (O’Toole, 2012).  The importance if effective communication in the healthcare system influences the patient’s perception of the care given to them. I have particularly realized that through communication, a patient will get assurance of recovery and as such, effective communication may be deemed more than the normal delivery of care but a vehicle through which patients are engaged in the discussion fully. Therefore, good communication between the nurse and their patients will surely bring out a positive outcome (Jasmine, 2009).  To achieve this, we nurses need to first understand and help their patients by showing them kindness and courtesy.

Communication can be defined as the passage and transaction of message creation. The process of communication takes place in the context of physical space as well as the social values in the different psychological conditions. Communication helps in performance of accurate and easy nursing care by ensuring that patients are satisfied with the protection and health care given to them (Ashurst & Taylor, 2010). In cases where the health care professions do not have the required training and knowledge, they are likely to face difficulties separating their work and their personal experiences and therefore tend to transfer their personal problems to their workplace and create unconducive environment for patients to recover. Communication is also the intrinsic characteristic that defines human nature since almost everyone can communicate using different communication channels (O’Toole, 2012).  Communication is never unidirectional and as a nurse, it is important to understand that communication is the interaction whereby every sender becomes a receiver.

As a nurse, I have come to realize that the message sent by the patient is not usually the same as the message received. This is because the message is usually based on the individual factors and the subject’s perceptions. It is clear to me now that I can only interpret something that I have heard and not according to what the patient has actually said (O’Toole, 2012). Particularly, I believe that the attention while communicating should be given by the nurse to their patients. The interaction between the caregivers should be strictly medical during every contact since every patient will have a different interpretation of what the caregivers my have said. I have also realized that communication can also happen without words since it is usually an ongoing process. Non-verbal communication between the nurse and patient is expressed through the use facial expressions, gestures and postures. However, the only problem with this kind of communication as I discovered is the distance barrier between the patient and the nurse. It is also important to have an agreement between the patient and the nurse on the non-verbal communication method to use (Arnold & Boggs, 1999). This way both of them will be able to communicate effectively and agree on things.

Another important aspect in communication is listening. As a responsible nurse, I think that it is important for one to have maximum concentration and attention especially when using non-verbal communication skills. By paying close attention to the patients, I find it easy to assess the situation of the patients, which enhances the patient’s self-esteem and integrity. In nursing good communication and interpersonal relationship between the patient and the nurse enables me to ask questions to my patients with kindness and give them the necessary information in a way that they are at ease with and a way that demonstrates their interests (O’Toole, 2012).  This in turn creates feelings of acceptance as well as trust with their nurse, which harmonizes the nurse-patient relationship. The therapeutic relationship in nursing is an important prerequisite to effective communication and enables nurses to conduct their duties at ease. I believe that in nursing one should be effectively address the mental processes related to my work (Jasmine, 2009).  Communication between my patients and me should include the ability to express my sincere concern for caring for my needy patients who need my care, as the patient becomes a partaker of the interest. Communication between the nurse and the patient is a process that must begin with first contact between the two individuals and the relationship must be a long-term relationship (O’Toole, 2012).

Therapeutic communication in nursing allows Australian nurses to keep a good relationship with their patients by interacting and providing comfort to them (Hally, 2009). In Australian hospitals, the most importance of communication is to share information and interact with each other. Information is not only conveyed between the patients and the nurse but also patients’ needs and feelings are taken care of through communication. Therefore, I can say that therapeutic communication in Australian hospitals has become an important part of knowledge through evidence based approaches and so on (O’Toole, 2012).  In Australian hospitals therapeutic nurse patients communications allows the nurse to build a positive relationship with the patients by showing them concern and respect as they communicate. It has also helped me as a nurse to seek assistance and support from my colleagues since I am able to overcome anxiety and given room to open feedbacks.

Being a nurse in Australia is not an easy thing considering all the challenges one has to go through. However good communication has become of great help to nurses and more so to me since it has helped me tackle even the hardest situations that have come across in my line of duty. Communication has helped me overcome all the barriers that inhibit me from performing my assigned duties since am able to build stable relationships with my patients. I have learnt how to use good therapeutic communication techniques in accordance to the situation at hand.  I believe that the future for nursing in Australia has been taken care of through trainings on how to maintain good communication and keep patients engaged and happy. In addition, I have discovered that it is unethical to reject a patient’s request or to demand patients what to do without discussing with them forts. Good communication has surely shed light for the nursing community in Australia.