good communication skills examples in nursing

30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing + How to Use Them

Nurses interact with people every day. Whether you talk with patients, family members, nurses, or other healthcare providers, it is vital for nurses to develop effective communication skills that promote favorable outcomes for patients and the healthcare team. Therapeutic communication should be at the core of every nurse-patient, nurse-caregiver, or interdisciplinary team relationship. Perhaps you are wondering, “What is therapeutic communication in nursing?” In this article, I will answer that question and provide you with examples of how to develop therapeutic communication skills. As you continue reading, you will find the 30 top therapeutic communication techniques in nursing + how to use them.

What is Therapeutic Communication in Nursing?

What is the difference between therapeutic and non-therapeutic communication in nursing, when do nurses engage in therapeutic communication, 5 reasons why therapeutic communication is important in nursing, what are the five 5 essential components of therapeutic communication in nursing, 1. respect for the patient’s values and beliefs:, 3. patience:, 4. honesty:, 5. compassion:, 6 key skills required to successfully engage in nursing therapeutic communication, 1. verbal communication:, 2. nonverbal communication:, 3. written communication:, 4. patient education:, 5. make personal connections:, 6. learn to be culturally aware:, what are the top therapeutic communication techniques in nursing, technique #1: using active listening, why this technique works:, how to use this technique:, technique #2: seek clarification, technique #3: give broad openings and use open-ended sentences, technique #4: use time and/or sequence, technique #5: know when to be silent, technique #6 : give the patient recognition, technique #7: use observation skills, technique #8: encourage the patient to use comparisons, technique #9: focus, technique #10: summarize, technique #11: reflect, technique #12: use touch, technique #13: confronting, technique #14: be available, technique #15: offer hope, technique #16: find and share humor, technique #17: voice doubt, when appropriate, technique #18: encourage patients to describe their feelings, technique #19: suggest options (not medical advice), technique #20: use general leads, technique #21: offer acceptance, technique #22: exploration, technique #23: rephrase what the patient says, technique #24: verify impressions of what the patient says, technique #25: present reality, technique #26: share personal experiences, technique #27: asking patients to describe their perception of a situation/event, technique #28: attempt to translate what the patient says in the form of his feelings, technique #29: show empathy, technique #30: encourage participation in care planning, 15 non-therapeutic communication techniques nurses should avoid, 1. asking irrelevant personal questions:, 2. using stereotypical comments or cliches:, 3. giving unsolicited personal opinions:, 4. changing the subject:, 5. pressuring the patient:, 6. imposing the nurse’s approval or disapproval about a patient’s choice:, 7. arguing with the patient:, 8. using passive responses:, 9. giving aggressive or defensive responses:, 10. questioning the patient “why”:, 11. imposing sympathy:, 12. underloading:, 13. making the patient feel like what he is saying is not important:, 14. offering false reassurances:, 15. incongruence:, 7 most-common barriers to therapeutic communication in nursing and how to overcome them, barrier #1: physical barriers, about the barrier:, how to overcome:, barrier #2: language barriers, barrier #3: information overload, barrier #4: avoiding eye contact, barrier #5: talking too much, barrier #6: not being prepared, barrier #7: allowing personal conflicts to affect your outlook, bonus 5 expert tips to help nurses improve their therapeutic communication skills, 1. learn to use nonverbal signs to show you are listening:, 2. become a reader:, 3. learn to use your peripheral vision:, 4. be aware of how you demonstrate nonverbal communication:, 5. respect your patient's decisions:, my final thoughts, frequently asked questions answered by our expert, 1. what is the main goal of therapeutic communication in nursing, 2. is nursing therapeutic communication an intervention, 3. what is constructive criticism in nursing therapeutic communication, 4. is therapeutic communication necessary for all types of nurses, 5. which nurse would most likely be the best therapeutic communicator, 6. how do nursing schools teach therapeutic communication, 7. how does body language play a role in therapeutic communication in nursing, 8. how does therapeutic communication affect patient care, 9. how do nurses communicate therapeutically with alcoholic patients, 10. how to therapeutically communicate with pediatric patients, 11. is empathy a nursing therapeutic communication technique, 12. which communication technique is demonstrated when the nurse connects with a patient on a social level, 13. are there any disadvantages of therapeutic communication in nursing, 14. what happens when nursing therapeutic communication fails.

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Mastering Effective Communication in Nursing: Key Skills to Enhance Patient Care

Blog Post | Mastering Effective Communication in Nursing: Key Skills to Enhance Patient Care

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Writes on effective communication in nursing

In healthcare both clinical and nonclinical practice, communicating effectively is not just nice to have—it’s really important for giving patients good care. What you say and how you say it matters.

This is why good communication is important to avoid unintended outcomes.

Effective communication in nursing means listening carefully, understanding how people feel, being clear, being sensitive to different cultures, and speaking up when you need to.

It is the base for trust, understanding, and making sure patients get better.

Some Nurses have had sad experiences with communication because of their job. They talk with patients from lots of different places, sometimes when things are tough.

They work with different teams, deal with complicated rules, and do lots of things at once. With all this going on, it can be tough to keep communicating clearly, kindly, and with respect.

But it is really important to make sure patients are okay and everything runs smoothly in healthcare.

By communicating better, nurses can make patients happier, lower the chance of mistakes, work better with other nurses, and help make healthcare better overall.

This article will look at the main skills and useful skills that nurses can use to be better at talking, focusing on making patients the most important thing by caring about how they feel, understanding them, and building trust.

As nurses, your words and how you talk can change people’s lives. Take on the challenge, make these important skills a priority, and always try to make your way of talking better.

By doing this, you’ll not only make the care you give better but also help make healthcare a place where caring about patients is really important and helps them get healthier.

I. what is effective communication in nursing, learn how to teach and communicate well, ii. core skills for effective communication:, iii. communication across different scenarios:, iv. practical tools and tips:, conclusion:.

A nurse and a doctor relates together well

Effective communication in nursing means nurses can share information, ideas, and feelings with patients, families, and other nurses in a clear, short, and caring way.

This helps give patients the best care and make sure healthcare ends well.

Good and clear communication in nursing is super important because it builds trust between patients and nurses.

It also makes them follow their treatment plans better, avoids mistakes, helps nurses work together, and ensures patients are happier with their care, resulting in better outcomes.

Effective communication skills in nursing practice mean being able to share important information, needs, feelings, and plans clearly and kindly.

This includes talking, writing, listening, and understanding without judgment. This helps build trust between nurses and patients, making education, safety, respectful care, health, and good results possible.

Important nursing skills for better communication include:

Active listening,
Understanding different cultures,
Working well in a team,
Explaining things clearly,
Being kind,
Asking good questions,
Giving helpful feedback,
Offering support,
Good record keeping,
Noticing nonverbal signals,
Speaking up for patients, and
helping people understand health info in simple words.

These proven people skills help nurses:

Understand patients better,
Prevent mistakes,
Give care that looks at the whole person,
Help during tough times,
Make sure patients follow advice, and even save lives.

A young patient being examined by a nurse

Why is effective communication important in healthcare?

1. helping patients better:.

A. Getting clear information: Good communication helps nurses get the right details from patients about symptoms, medical history, and worries. This is important for making good decisions about care and treatment.

B. Making sure patients do what they’re supposed to: Effective communication helps patients understand their sickness, treatment plans, and how to take their medicine, so they do what they’re supposed to for better results.

C. Making fewer mistakes: If people don’t talk clearly, mistakes can happen with medicine, treatment, and care. Good communication helps stop these mistakes.

D. Making patients happier: When patients feel like nurses listen, understand, and include them in decisions about their care, they’re more likely to be happy with their healthcare.

E. Building trust: Good communication helps nurses build trust and get along well with patients, making it easier to talk openly and make decisions together.

F. Helping with worries: Talking clearly helps nurses understand and help with what patients are worried or scared about, making them feel better and less stressed.

G. Giving patients more power: Good communication lets patients be more involved in decisions about their care, so they feel more in control.

Helpful Post: How Nurses Can Provide Emotional Support To Patients and Family

2. Better connections and trust:

A. Building Relationship: Talking well helps nurses and care workers make friends with patients, building trust and a feeling of being a team in their care journey.

B. Managing patient worries : Talking clearly lets nurses and care workers deal with what makes patients worried or afraid, being understanding and reducing stress.

C. Giving power to patients: Talking well lets patients take an active part in their care choices, giving them a feeling of control and freedom of choice.

3. Working together as a team:

A. Communication between nurses, doctors, and other health workers is important to plan care, in making sure care will keep going on well, and in stopping problems or misunderstandings.

B. Working with patients’ families and caregivers: Talking clearly with families and caregivers lets them know what’s happening, gets them involved, and gives support in the patient’s care journey.

Two female nurses discussing within the clinic

Communication Style in Nursing

Communication style in nursing refers to the way nurses interact with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.

It includes both verbal and nonverbal communication, and is really important in making friends, giving good care, and making sure patients get better.

Nurses’ communication style is all about how they interact with patients, families, and other healthcare workers. It’s a two-way street that involves speaking clearly and listening attentively.

Good communication style in nursing involves:

Actively listen: Pay attention, ask questions, and show understanding.
Be empathetic: Acknowledge patients’ feelings and create a safe space for them to talk.
Speak clearly: Avoid jargon, use simple terms, and check for understanding.
Respect cultures: Adapt your approach to different backgrounds and beliefs.
Be assertive: Support patients and speak up about worries with confidence.

Difference Between Effective and Ineffective Communication

Communication Style	Effective Communication	Ineffective Communication
	Actively listens, asks clarifying questions, uses silence appropriately.	Appears distracted, interrupts frequently, doesn’t ask clarifying questions.
	Uses clear, concise language, avoids medical jargon, explains things simply.	Uses complex medical jargon, talks too fast, doesn’t explain things clearly.
	Maintains eye contact, uses open body language, nods to show understanding.	Avoids eye contact, has crossed arms, seems impatient or dismissive.
	Shows concern for patient’s feelings, validates their emotions.	Appears insensitive, dismissive of patient’s concerns.
	Tailors communication style to patient’s cultural background, uses interpreters when needed.	Makes assumptions about patient’s culture, uses insensitive language.
	Uses simple language, checks for understanding, repeats information if needed.	Uses complex language, doesn’t check for understanding, rushes through information.
	Encourages patients to ask questions, addresses concerns directly.	Avoids difficult conversations, dismisses patient’s concerns.
	Collaborates effectively with other healthcare professionals, communicates information clearly.	Withholds information, talks negatively about colleagues, creates conflict within the team.

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1. Active Listening:

Active listening is a basic skill that helps nurses really understand and react to what patients are saying, needing, and feeling.

Important ways to listen well include repeating back what the patient said, asking questions that make them say more, and watching their body language and how they talk.

By active listening or call it mindful listening, nurses can show they really care, build a good connection, and get important info to give better, more personal care.

Example of using active listening skills:

When a patient is describing their symptoms, the nurse repeats back what the patient has said to confirm understanding (“So you’re saying you’ve had a persistent cough for the past few days and are feeling short of breath, is that correct?”).
The nurse maintains eye contact, nods, and uses open body language to show they are engaged and attentive.
The nurse asks open-ended questions to encourage the patient to give details (“Can you tell me more about how this cough has been affecting your daily activities?”).

2. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence:

Nursing needs nurses to be really good at understanding how people feel. Nurses need to know how to deal with patients who might feel scared, worried, upset, or sad.

Getting better at empathy—knowing and feeling what others feel—is super important for making patients trust you and giving them emotional support.

By showing understanding, nurses can make a place where patients feel listened to, respected, and looked after.

Three examples showing how to use this skill:

When a patient looks upset and scared about an upcoming surgery, the nurse says, “I can tell you’re really worried and scared about this surgery. It’s totally okay to feel that way.”
If a patient talks about feeling sad over losing someone, the nurse says, “I’m really sorry for your loss. This must be a really hard time for you and your family.”
When a patient seems upset without saying anything, like by moving around a lot or crying, the nurse notices and comforts them with kindness and support.

3. Clarity and Conciseness:

Good and effective Communication in nursing means explaining complex medical terms in an easy and short way. This could also involve explaining using charts and drawings. The goal is to make the patient, family and fellow workers understand what they need to know.

Nurses should use simple words, not use difficult words that might confuse patients, and talk at a level that patients can understand.

This means checking if the patient gets it and changing how you talk if needed.

By talking clearly, nurses can make sure patients really understand what is going on with their health, what they need to do, and how to take care of themselves, which can help them get better and have better outcomes overall.

Three examples to showing nurses how to explain better:

When talking about a new medicine routine, the nurse uses easy words and doesn’t use hard medical words: “Take this medicine once a day at night, and it’s better to have it with food.”
The nurse makes difficult medical terms easy to understand by breaking it down into simple steps or making a list.
After explaining what to do, the nurse asks the patient to say back what they understood to make sure they got it right.

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4. Respecting Cultures:

Nurses meet patients from lots of different cultures in healthcare today.

Each culture has its own beliefs, values, and ways of talking.

Being sensitive to culture means respecting and valuing these differences, and changing how you talk to match the patient’s culture.

This might mean changing how you act, talking about specific cultural beliefs or worries, or getting family members or cultural helpers to help understand.

Three examples to show nurses on ways to respect cultures:

When a patient from another culture worries about a treatment because of their religion, the nurse listens and respects their worries. They might suggest other choices or get someone who knows about their culture to help them understand.
The nurse changes how they talk, like using very polite words or not doing certain things, to match how the patient’s culture does things.
If a patient doesn’t speak much English, the nurse gets a professional interpreter to make sure they understand each other well.

5. Speaking Up and Fixing Problems:

Effective communication in nursing also means being able to speak up and fix problems when they happen.

Nurses need to stand up for what patients need, talk about worries clearly and confidently, and fix arguments or problems with other nurses in a nice and helpful way.

By getting better at speaking up and fixing problems, nurses can make sure people listen to them, make sure patients stay safe, and keep working well with other healthcare people.

Three Examples on how to speak up and mend problems:

In a meeting with the team, a nurse talks nicely about their worry with a treatment plan and suggests a different way to keep patients safe.
If nurses do not agree about something, the nurse listens to both sides, understands each, and talks about fixing the problem so patients are okay.
If a patient or family member gets upset or argues, the nurse stays calm and polite, tells them clearly what is okay and what’s not, and tries to make things calmer by listening and caring.

6. Teamwork:

Nurses should be good at talking with other healthcare workers, like doctors, therapists, and social workers, to plan patient care and make sure moving between different healthcare places goes smoothly.

Effective communication is important to build and promote team’s progress and success. Nurses work with doctors, therapists, and social workers to make sure patients get the best care possible.

By effective communication and working together, they make sure everything goes smoothly and patients are happy and healthy.

Examples to show this:

The nurse leaving makes sure the nurse coming knows about each patient. They both ask questions to make the change smooth.
The nurse, social worker, and case manager talk often to plan when patients can leave and what care they need after.
The nurse, therapist, and dietitian work together to teach patients everything they need to know, using each person’s knowledge.
The nurse tells the doctor about a possible mistake with medicine. They work together to check and fix the treatment plan.

These examples used show how nurses can use these important talking skills in different situations to:

make good connections,
give caring help,
make sure everyone understands each other, and
deal with hard times well.

An eye doctor examining the eyes of a young patient in the hospital

1. With Patients:

One of the hardest parts of nursing is talking about bad news or having tough talks with patients.

This might mean talking about a serious illness, problems with treatment, or what to do at the end of life.

Nurses should talk about these things by caring about how patients feel, being gentle, and being ready to listen.

Giving info in an easy and caring way, giving patients time to understand and ask questions, and giving emotional support can help deal with these hard situations better.

a. Teaching Patients About Their Care: Nurses are important in teaching patients about their health problems, treatment plans, and what they need to do to take care of themselves.

Good communication in this situation means checking what the patient already knows, explaining things in a way they can understand, using pictures or writing when it helps, and asking them to ask questions and give feedback.

By making sure education focuses on the patient, nurses can help them understand better, do what they need to do, and be healthier overall.

b. Connecting with Patients: Making a good connection and making patients trust you is really important for talking well and giving good care.

Nurses can build this connection by caring about how patients feel, listening carefully, and really caring about their health.

Using friendly body language, looking at them when you talk, and talking in a nice, friendly way can also help make them feel welcome.

By making patients trust you, they’re more likely to tell you important things, do what you say, and take care of themselves.

People Also Read This: Gaining Healthcare and Nursing Competence

2. With Colleagues:

a. Handoffs and Shift Reports : Giving clear and short messages is super important when nurses give over information and care jobs to other healthcare people during handoffs and shift reports.

Using structured ways of talking, like SBAR (which means Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), can make sure all the important info gets passed on quickly and correctly.

Also, asking questions, making things clearer, and really listening to what the incoming nurse is worried about can help make sure things keep going well and care stays the same.

b. Working Together with Different Teams: Nurses usually work with lots of different healthcare people, like doctors, therapists, social workers, and others.

Good talking in this situation means respecting what everyone does, talking clearly and shortly, and making sure everyone understands and decides together.

Nurses can help by asking others what they think, saying the main things, and making sure care plans for patients are all set up and agreed on.

c. Dealing with Problems and Fixing Arguments: It is normal to have arguments and disagreements in healthcare teams, but effective communication can help solve them.

Nurses should feel okay to say what they are worried about in a nice way, listen to what others think, and work together to fix things so patients stay safe and okay.

Using ways to fix arguments, like listening carefully, understanding different points of view, and focusing on what everyone wants to do, can help deal with worries and keep everyone working well together.

3. With Families and Caregivers:

a. Involving Families in the Care Plan: Family and caregivers are really important in helping patients get better and stay well.

Effective communication in nursing means making sure families are part of planning care, giving them updates on how the patient is doing, and asking what they think.

Nurses should make families feel like they are important, respected, and valued as partners in taking care of the patient.

b. Managing Tough Times: Sometimes, families and how they get along can make care harder, causing arguments or tough situations.

Nurses should be ready to deal with these times by being gentle, polite, and focusing on what’s best for the patient.

This might mean helping sort out arguments between family, dealing with differences in culture or language, or gently making sure the patient’s private stuff stays private and they stay safe.

Note: We have a on-site group training for nurses in effective communication training , check it out

An health worker talking to a pregnant woman

a. Communication Frameworks: Using organised ways of talking, like SBAR (which means Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) , can help nurses tell information in a good way.

SBAR gives a standard way to communicate about how patients are doing, making it easy to understand during handoffs, shift reports, and talks with other healthcare people.

Other ways of effective communication, like AIDET (which means Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, Thank You) , can help nurses talk with patients and make a good connection.

b. Using Technology Well: Technology is becoming more and more important in talking in healthcare.

Nurses should use things like electronic health records (EHRs) , websites for patients, and safe messaging apps to share information quickly and correctly.

But it is important to not just use technology and forget about talking face-to-face. Technology should help make talking better, not replace talking with people.

c. Dealing with Stress and Limited Time: Nursing is a hard job, and not having enough time and feeling stressed can make talking harder.

Nurses should find ways to handle their work, do the most important things first, and take breaks to rest.

Doing things to manage stress, like deep breathing or being mindful, can help stay calm and focused, which makes talking better with patients and other nurses.

d. Thinking About How to Get Better: Good communication is something nurses always need to work on.

Nurses should think about how they talk regularly, ask other nurses and patients for advice, and find ways to get better.

Going to classes, joining workshops, or getting help from someone more experienced can help nurses talk better and change with how health care is always changing.

SBAR Communication Framework in Healthcare

SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.

The SBAR communication framework is a structured way used in healthcare to share important information between healthcare workers. The meaning of SBAR in nursing is broken down as:

Situation : Describing what’s happening right now.
Background : Giving important background information.
Assessment: Saying what you think is going on.
Recommendation: Making suggestions about what to do.

This framework helps make sure communication is clear and simple, reducing mistakes and problems in patient care. See the flowchart below.

AIBET Framework

The AIBET Framework is another communication tool used in healthcare. AIDET in nursing is a way for nurses to talk better with patients.

It stands for:

Assessment: Look at the situation or problem.
Identification: Find the main things that matter.
Background: Tell important information about what’s been happening.
Explanation: Say what you think and what should be done.
Time: Talk about when things need to happen.

This framework helps health workers such as nurses, doctors etc effectively communicate important information and make informed decisions about patient care.

aidet communication framework for health workers flowchart

In nursing, where things are always changing and tough, effective communication isn’t just something nice to have—it’s super important for giving patients the best care possible.

By getting better at listening carefully, caring about how patients feel, talking clearly, being sensitive to different cultures, and speaking up when they need to, nurses can make patients and families trust them more.

This helps make sure everyone understands each other and works better together.

Effective communication in nursing is important in lots of situations, like telling patients hard things, working with different healthcare teams, and helping families when things are tough.

By using helpful tools and ways of talking, like communication structures, using technology, handling stress, and always thinking about how to get better, nurses can make their talking skills better and deal with the hard parts of their job with more confidence and effect.

Getting good at talking well is something nurses always need to work on. It takes time, practice, and always trying to get better.

Nurses who make these skills important can make nursing even better, by giving patients the best care, making good connections, and helping make healthcare a place where caring about others and trusting each other is important.

More Ways to Learn More:

Workshops and talks about effective communication run by nursing groups
Online classes and certificates in talking well in healthcare
Getting help from someone more experienced or having a coach
Reading books and articles about how to talk well in healthcare

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10 Effective Nursing Communication Skills for Nurse Leaders

August 29, 2023

View all blog posts under Articles

Clinical nurse leader communicating with a patient.

Through advanced education, such as earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice , nurse leaders can develop crucial communication techniques that facilitate the optimal delivery of care. Verbal, nonverbal, and technological communication, as well as rapport-building skills, such as active listening and compassion, are among 10 nursing communication skills that aim to improve medical care.

Organizational Nursing Communication Skills

The ability to communicate efficiently and effectively can have serious and long-lasting effects. Between health care professionals, communication often involves critical information such as a patient's care, medication, or standards of procedure, making accuracy essential. To ensure information is relayed properly, a few key nursing communication skills optimize delivery among staff, organizational leaders, and stakeholders.

1. Verbal Communication

Effective communicators are assertive in their approach. Using calm, measured speech and a respectful tone, nurse leaders can minimize the risk of miscommunication and ensure information is not lost in medical jargon. Nurses can support each other and improve patient care by cultivating an environment of reciprocal respect through open communication.

2. Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal cues play a large role in interpersonal communication. Something as simple as crossed arms or slumped posture can greatly affect the way an individual interprets an interaction. The implications and meanings of certain motions such as eye contact or hand gestures may vary among cultures, so nurse leaders must be culturally competent and aware of what their nonverbal cues may be communicating.

3. Written Communication

Maintaining accurate and well-formatted medical information is fundamental for effective communication. Correct grammar, spelling, and diction are all integral parts of proper written conduct and remaining professional.

4. Presentation Skills

During advanced degree programs, graduate students learn to build nursing communication skills necessary for a compelling presentation. Nurse leaders can tailor data and visual aids to fit their target audience and streamline the delivery of new information, critical knowledge, and policies to groups, organizations, or staff.

Rapport-Building Nursing Communication Skills

Developing a relationship of trust and respect between health care professionals and their patients is crucial to the proper delivery of care. By acknowledging individuals’ varying circumstances, experiences, and beliefs, nurse leaders can build open and thoughtful rapports with patients.

5. Active Listening

According to a study published in Medical Care concerning perceived discrimination during a health care visit, the majority of non-white participants reported experiencing perceived racism or classism and felt like their providers did not listen to them. To prevent communication breakdowns and establish an open rapport, many nurse leaders utilize active listening.

Both a nonverbal and verbal skill, active listening is the act of giving one’s undivided attention to another individual. Using culturally appropriate cues and affirmations, the listener shows that they are invested in the conversation, which can encourage patients to speak openly.

6. Compassion

Compassion is a sympathetic desire to help, allowing nurses to make a patient feel cared for while conserving their own energy. It is an extremely valuable nursing communication skill for interactions with patients as well as colleagues, as it entails conveying kindness while maintaining some emotional distance for the care provider. For nurse leaders, it is crucial to not only be compassionate but to recognize when they or the nurses they oversee face compassion fatigue.

At some point in their career, nurses may deal with some level of compassion fatigue. While the symptoms may be similar to burnout, it is an occupational hazard that occurs due to the challenging and traumatic situations nurses encounter, and can affect their worldview or ability to feel compassion for others. Nurse leaders who can provide a supportive environment that encourages awareness and self-care can improve the lives of nurses and their patients.

Empathy allows someone to understand another person’s feelings, creating a safe environment for open communication. Patients who feel empathy from their health care providers may be more willing to divulge the root cause of an issue, leading to more accurate and effective care and an increased likelihood of medical plan compliance.

Contextual Nursing Communication Skills

The goal of culturally competent health care is equal and consistent quality of care regardless of cultural, ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds. Upholding this practice requires that providers take the time to understand a patient’s beliefs, motivations, and circumstances. By acknowledging and understanding each patient’s unique lived experience, nurse leaders can form context-specific and effective treatment plans for each individual.

8. Cultural Competency

The integration of cultural intelligence into health care allows nurse leaders to work in tandem with patients and their families. Adapting treatment plans, hiring interpreters, and consulting with a patient’s family and loved ones are ways nurses can accommodate and be cognizant of cultural beliefs. Through higher education and mindful learning, nurses pursuing an advanced degree have the opportunity to specialize in awareness training and transcultural care delivery.

9. Religious Beliefs

Religion and spirituality can impact any number of medical decisions, including dietary restrictions, medication, and willingness to pursue care. Encouraging open communication helps to reduce patient anxiety and helps nurses elect appropriate treatments that are sensitive to patients’ religious beliefs and increase the likelihood of care compliance.

10. Education

A new medical care plan may involve significant shifts in a patient’s daily life, so patients need to understand the reasoning behind these lifestyle changes. Educating patients on both the processes and rationale behind their treatment is crucial to care compliance and achieving positive change. Depending on a patient’s comfort level and knowledge of the care required, nurses must be able to modify explanations to ensure patients fully comprehend their situation.

Between nurse leaders and the nurses they oversee, opportunities for education involve both teaching new skills to nurses starting out in their careers and mentoring them on best practices when educating patients.

Develop Better Communication Skills to Provide Better Care

With strong nursing communication skills, nurse leaders can build a rapport with patients and develop an environment of trust and positivity in health care. For patients, being able to trust providers leads to greater compliance in care. Effective communication within health care teams also decreases the likelihood of mistakes and miscommunications, creating more positive medical outcomes.

In the true spirit of aloha — "kindness, grace, unity, humility, and patience" — Hawai‘i Pacific University’s MSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice is rooted in holistic care and designed to help you succeed. Featuring 100% online coursework, small classes with accessible faculty members, and dedicated student support from first contact through graduation, HPU is passionate about preparing you for leadership opportunities. Discover the difference you can make by pursuing an MSN to DNP with Hawai‘i Pacific University.

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Nursing MSN & DNP

| 20 May 2024

The Importance of Effective Communication in Nursing

To be a successful healthcare provider, clinical nurse or nurse leader, you need exceptional communication skills—and you need to be able to use them during high-stress situations.

Why Is Communication Important in Nursing?

Having good communication skills is essential to collaborating on teams with your fellow nurses and colleagues from other disciplines. It’s also important to patient-centered care.

Nurses who take the time to listen and understand the concerns of each of their patients are better prepared to address issues as they arise, resulting in better patient outcomes.

On the other hand, poor communication, or lack of communication in healthcare , can lead to patients misunderstanding directions and failing to follow treatment protocols. It can also lead to workflow breakdowns on the team, resulting in a medical error . A report by the Joint Commission found that poor communication in healthcare during patient transfers contributed to 80% of serious medical errors.

Additionally, patients who have established an open and secure dialogue with a nurse or healthcare provider are more likely to disclose the true extent of their symptoms. According to the book Interpersonal Relationships: Professional Communication for Nurses by Arnold and Boggs , healthcare communication competency offers a primary means for establishing a trusting, collaborative relationship with patients and families. Interpersonal communication skills influence the quality of decisions made, as well as the level of patient motivation to follow treatment protocols and achieve desired clinical outcomes.

10 Effective Communication Skills for Nurses

For nurses, good communication in healthcare means approaching every patient interaction with the intention to understand the patient’s concerns, experiences, and opinions. This includes using verbal and nonverbal communication skills, along with active listening and patient teach-back techniques. Below, we explore 10 communication skills that are important for nurses.

1. Verbal Communication

Excellent verbal communication is key. Aim to always speak with clarity, accuracy, and honesty. It’s also important to know your audience and speak appropriately according to the person’s age, culture, and level of health literacy. If you are feeling stressed out or frustrated, be aware of your tone of voice and don’t let these emotions leak into your patient interaction. You can:

Encourage patients to communicate by asking open questions like, “Can you tell me a bit more about that?”
Avoid condescending pet names like “honey” or “sweetie” and instead use the patient’s first name or name of choice.
Speak in clear, complete sentences and avoid technical jargon.

2. Nonverbal Communication

Using elements of nonverbal communication—such as facial expressions, eye contact, body language, gestures, posture, and tone of voice—is also essential in creating rapport. Simply smiling can go a long way. You can also:

Show interest in what the patient is saying by maintaining eye contact and nodding your head.
Smile, but don’t stare.
Sit down when you can, and lean forward to show you’re engaged.
Use nonthreatening body language that conveys openness.

3. Active Listening

“Active listening” means listening in order to understand the other person’s experience. The highest and most effective form of listening requires complete attention and engagement. This skill is important not only for clinical nurses but also for nurse executives and other healthcare providers as a tool for building trust and commitment with their staff. Active listening includes both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. For example:

Nod your head, but never interrupt.
Lean forward and maintain eye contact to let the person know you’re engaged.
Include minimal verbal encouragement, such as “I understand,” and “go on.”

4. Written Communication

Written communication skills are also essential for effective nurse-to-nurse communication. As a nurse, you will be responsible for creating and updating the patient ’s medical record . It is critical that the medical record is accurate and current so your patients can receive the best care possible. Also, remember to protect patient confidentiality. Some tips:

Make notes immediately following patient care so you do not forget anything.
Write legibly and clearly, using simple language.
Be sure to note accurate dates and times.

5. Presentation Skills

Effective presentation skills are most applicable during “handover”—when you are transferring patient care to another nurse or other healthcare providers . These skills will also help you demonstrate your knowledge and expertise clearly in a variety of workplace settings, such as presenting at conferences, participating in job interviews, giving case reports to physicians, and more. It’s a good idea to:

Plan out your presentation and practice.
Pay attention to both your verbal communication and body language.
Add visuals to your presentation for a better explanation.
Understand your audience and know what they want and need from the presentation.

6. Patient Education (Patient Teach-Back)

Nurses are in charge of most of the communication between the healthcare team and patients. This includes informing patients and family members of health conditions, diagnoses, treatment plans, and medication protocols. This skill is especially important for family nurse practitioners who work with patients and families to provide health and education counseling.

Patient teach-back is an effective communication strategy where providers ask patients to repeat the information back to them. This method improves patient understanding and encourages adherence to care instructions. Poor understanding of information can cause patients and their family members to feel anxious or become defensive. For example, you can say:

“We’ve gone over a lot of information. Now I’d like you to repeat it back to me to make sure you remember everything.”
“Can you repeat the instructions for taking this medicine back to me?”
“Let’s review what we just discussed. Can you explain it to me in your own words?”

7. Making Personal Connections

It’s important to get to know the person behind the patient. Patient-centered relationships are critical in helping patients feel safe and comfortable. Creating meaningful connections with patients can improve outcomes and trust. Some ideas:

Spend a couple of extra minutes every day with each patient getting to know them.
Find out a fun fact about each patient.
Show interest in their lives and share stories of your own.

It’s important for healthcare professionals to inspire trust in patients by listening actively and taking every complaint and concern seriously. Building trust takes time. Healthcare settings are scary for some patients. It’s important to make them feel as comfortable as possible.

Trust is something that nurse educators and leaders should also cultivate as they work to develop the next generation of nurses. To inspire trust, nurse leaders and educators should:

Always tell the truth.
Share information openly.
Be willing to admit mistakes.

9. Cultural Awareness

You will likely work with people every day who come from a wide range of social, cultural, and educational backgrounds. Every patient and coworker is unique, and it’s important to be aware and sensitive. For example, gauge the patient’s fluency with English and grade your vocabulary accordingly or bring in a translator if necessary and possible. With trans and gender nonbinary patients, be sure to use their preferred name and pronoun.

10. Compassion

Conveying compassion is an essential communication skill in healthcare. According to the Journal of Compassionate Healthcare , “studies show that compassion can assist in prompting fast recovery from acute illness, enhancing the management of chronic illness, and relieving anxiety.” You can deliver compassionate nursing care by putting yourself in the patient’s shoes and understanding their needs and expectations.

How to Overcome Communication Barriers in Nursing

Sometimes the message sent is not always received the way it was desired. Communication barriers in nursing result in weak patient-nurse interactions and relationships. To overcome these, we must first understand the types of communication barriers that nurses face. In the article “ Communication and Language Needs ,” Dawn Weaver identifies three common communication barriers in nursing: physical, social, and psychological.

Physical Barriers

The environment in which you communicate with a patient can make a huge difference in effective communication. Busy, loud, and distracting settings can increase patient stress. To create a safe and comfortable environment, try closing doors, opening blinds, and mitigating outside noises whenever you can.

Social Barriers

Social barriers include differences in language, religion, culture, age, and customs. Understanding each patient’s cultural background can help nurses avoid prejudice and communicate clearly. It’s a good idea to tailor your communication strategies depending on the patient’s age, as well: A 12-year-old and a 70-year-old will have very different ideas of what health and healthcare mean to them.

Psychological Barriers

For many patients, a trip to the doctor is anxiety-inducing. Anxiety and stress are psychological barriers, as are dementia and other cognitive conditions. To help reduce their influence, it helps to take extra time to listen, empathize, and be supportive. Such psychosocial care has been proven to improve patient health outcomes and quality of life.

Nurses may also need to overcome their own psychological barriers. Speaking to patients and family members about death, disease, and other sensitive topics can be distressing. A study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing explored the fact that many nurses experience feelings of anxiety when discussing patient medical needs and conditions.

Get Started Developing Crucial Communication Skills Today

Learning these and other communication skills should be part of your education, whether you’re enrolled in undergraduate nursing school or a graduate nursing program . They are also easy to practice on the job, as you will get plenty of opportunities for communicating with patients and your colleagues. Put your favorite idea into practice today!

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates designed for working nurses. Our degrees are offered online, with optional on-campus immersions* and an annual interprofessional trip abroad. Role specialties include Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Nurse Educator (MSN only) , and Nurse Executive . The MSN has several options to accelerate your time to degree completion. Complete coursework when and where you want—and earn your advanced nursing degree while keeping your work and life in balance.

*The FNP track includes two required hands-on clinical intensives as part of the curriculum.

The Joint Commission. “Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare Releases Targeted Solutions Tool for Hand-Off Communications.” Joint Commission Perspectives 32, no. 8 (August 2012): 1, 3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22928243/. Accessed: January 26, 2022

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “Use the Teach-Back Method: Tool #5.” Last reviewed September 2020. https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy/quality-resources/tools/literacy-toolkit/healthlittoolkit2-tool5.html. Accessed: January 26, 2022

Chen, Cassandra Siyun, Sally Wai-Chi Chan, Moon Fai Chan, Suk Foon Yap, Wenru Wang, and Yanika Kowitlawakul. “Nurses’ Perceptions of Psychosocial Care and Barriers to Its Provision: A Qualitative Study.” The Journal of Nursing Research 25, no. 6 (2017): 411–418. doi:10.1097/JNR.0000000000000185.

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Oct 31, 2023

Building Effective Communication Skills: A Guide for Nurses

Communication is at the heart of nursing. Whether it's conveying critical information about a patient's condition, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, or providing comfort to a distressed family, the ability to communicate effectively determines the quality of care. For nurses, honing this skill not only improves patient outcomes but also fosters stronger relationships with peers, patients, physicians, and leadership. Here's a guide to help nurses navigate the intricate tapestry of healthcare communication.

1. Active Listening:

Before speaking, it's essential to listen. Active listening involves fully concentrating, understanding, and responding to what the other person is saying. For nurses, this means:

Offering undivided attention, free from distractions.

Avoiding interrupting and allowing the speaker to finish.

Providing feedback through nods, paraphrasing, or summarizing what's been said.

2. Clear and Concise Messaging:

In the fast-paced healthcare environment, brevity is crucial. Ensure your communication is:

Straight to the point, especially during handoffs or emergencies.

Free from jargon when speaking to patients or non-medical staff.

3. Open-ended Questions:

Using open-ended questions can garner more information and foster a deeper understanding. Instead of asking, "Are you feeling okay?", try "Can you describe how you're feeling?"

4. Non-verbal Communication:

A significant portion of communication is non-verbal. This includes:

Maintaining appropriate eye contact to show engagement.

Observing body language and facial expressions for unsaid cues.

Ensuring your body language is open and approachable.

5. Cultivate Empathy:

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. By putting yourself in another's shoes, whether it's a patient's or a colleague's, you can communicate more effectively and compassionately.

6. Constructive Feedback:

Whether you're receiving feedback or providing it, ensure it's constructive:

Focus on the behavior or action, not the person.

Use "I" statements, e.g., "I felt concerned when…" rather than "You always…".

Be specific and offer potential solutions.

7. Develop Cultural Competency:

Understanding cultural nuances can prevent misunderstandings. Take time to:

Learn about diverse cultures and belief systems.

Ask patients about any specific preferences or concerns related to their cultural or religious practices.

8. Utilize Technology:

With the advent of electronic health records (EHRs) and telemedicine:

Familiarize yourself with the platforms your facility uses.

Ensure digital communication is clear and adheres to confidentiality standards.

Building Stronger Relationships:

With Peers: Foster a collaborative environment. Engage in team-building activities, seek feedback, and regularly check-in with fellow nurses to ensure everyone is on the same page.

With Patients: Empathy and patience are crucial. Always introduce yourself, explain procedures or medications in layman's terms, and ensure they feel heard and understood.

With Physicians: Mutual respect is key. Understand that both nurses and doctors play integral roles in patient care. Regularly update them on patient statuses and advocate for patients when necessary, ensuring you provide clear rationales for your observations or concerns.

With Leadership: Open communication lines with management. Attend meetings, provide feedback on systemic issues, and be proactive in seeking mentorship or guidance.

Effective communication is a foundational skill for nurses, influencing everything from patient outcomes to the nurse's personal well-being. By focusing on both verbal and non-verbal cues, fostering empathy, and cultivating robust relationships across the healthcare spectrum, nurses can ensure they're not just heard but understood, facilitating a more harmonious and efficient healthcare environment.

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Effective communication skills in nursing practice

Affiliation.

1 Effective Communication Matters, Manchester, England.
PMID: 25467362
DOI: 10.7748/ns.29.14.53.e9355

This article highlights the importance of effective communication skills for nurses. It focuses on core communication skills, their definitions and the positive outcomes that result when applied to practice. Effective communication is central to the provision of compassionate, high-quality nursing care. The article aims to refresh and develop existing knowledge and understanding of effective communication skills. Nurses reading this article will be encouraged to develop a more conscious style of communicating with patients and carers, with the aim of improving health outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Keywords: Active listening; communication skills; communication skills training; compassionate care; effective communication; empathy; interpersonal skills; nursing care; patient cues; patient safety.

PubMed Disclaimer

Communication skills. King R. King R. Nurs Stand. 2015 Aug 12;29(50):61-2. doi: 10.7748/ns.29.50.61.s44. Nurs Stand. 2015. PMID: 26264338 No abstract available.

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The Importance of Effective Nursing Communication Skills

31 Jan, 2023 | By: Diane Sater-Wee

A nurse’s duty is to promote health, prevent illness and help patients cope with their conditions. Nurses create and oversee nursing care plans and guide patients and their families in proper care. They help communities by teaching individuals how to improve or maintain their health. To fulfill their responsibilities, nurses must excel in communication.

Interested to know why communication is so important in nursing? This guide will explain the importance of communication skills for nurses and how you can develop them.

What Are Communication Skills in Nursing?

Communication means exchanging information, opinions, and emotions among people using speech or other means. In healthcare, the patient conveys their worries and concerns to help the nurse make the correct diagnosis. Thus, the benefits of nurses having communication skills are overwhelmingly essential.

Communication assists in the execution of accurate, consistent, and accessible nursing work, assuring the patient’s satisfaction and the health professional’s protection. When health professionals do not possess communication skills, they face more difficulties separating work from their personal life, transferring problems from one side to the other.

Good communication skills are essential for collaborating with other healthcare providers. As a result, nurses who take the time to listen and understand the concerns of each of their patients are better prepared to address issues as they arise, resulting in better patient outcomes.

Why Are Communication Skills Important in Nursing?

Good communication denotes approaching every patient interaction intending to understand the patient’s concerns, experiences, and thoughts. This includes active listening, patient show-me techniques, and verbal and nonverbal communication skills for a registered nurse .

Effective communication skills in nursing are also vital for maintaining the health of the nurses themselves. They are often overworked, stressed, and exposed to difficult circumstances, so they overlook their own needs and well-being to help others. This can lead to burnout and other damaging mental and physical conditions. Keeping co-workers, supervisors, family, and friends up-to-date is important to mitigating and preventing these conditions.

9 Must-Have Communication Skills for Nurses

Patients have unique traits that affect how they communicate, such as their willingness to work with nurses and manage their own health. Nurses use various forms of communication when interacting with patients and other healthcare professionals. Below, we explore nine communication skills that are important for nurses.

Verbal communication

Nurses assist patients and their family members in understanding healthcare needs and treatments through different forms of communication. One of these forms is verbal communication. While, in essence, verbal communication means communicating through words, it is much more than just talking.

Effective verbal communication is exchanging information using words the receiver understands to convey professional caring and respect. Nurses using extensive medical jargon or slang may create an unintended barrier to their verbal communication processes.

When communicating with others, the nurse needs to assess the receiver’s preferred method of communication and adapt communication to meet their needs. Regardless of the individual adaptations that are made, the nurse must be sure always to verify patient understanding.

Nonverbal communication

Since it is an ongoing process, communication can happen even without words. Gestures, facial expressions, physical barriers such as distance from the interlocutor, and posture express this non-verbal communication. Hence, there must be an agreement between verbal and nonverbal communication, particularly under stressful conditions where it is challenging to understand the non-verbal messages of the patients.

Active listening

Listening requires all the senses’ attention and mobilization to perceive verbal and non-verbal messages articulated by each patient. By actively listening, nurses assess the problem and the patient’s concerns; they enhance their self-esteem and incorporate the nursing diagnosis and the care process at all levels. Nonetheless, nurses have a lot of pressure on their shoulders, so active listening might be easier said than done. One way to practice active listening is to go through the key points you heard one more time.

Written communication

In the healthcare environment, written communication can come in many forms:

Notes on patients
Complete health records
Notes between departments
Patient discharge instructions
Written communication between supervisors and employees, etc.

Nurses should have good handwriting and use concise language to communicate important information accurately. They should know what medical terminology and abbreviations to use in their writing and employ only universally accepted terminologies.

In recent years, written communication in healthcare has changed from paper to electronic communication. Electronic communication, such as e-mails, lab results, procedure and operative reports, and patient documentation, is becoming standard practice.

Presentation skills

Effective presentation skills are most applicable when transferring patient care to another nurse or healthcare provider. These skills will enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in various workplace settings, such as presenting at conferences, participating in job interviews, giving physicians case reports, and more. It’s a good idea to:

Plan out and practice your presentation
Pay attention to your verbal communication and body language
Add visuals to your presentation
Know your audience and what they need from the presentation

Patient education

Nurses, in many cases, serve as a communication bridge between the healthcare team and patients. Hence, they should be effective instructors when explaining health conditions, disease procedures, diagnostic test results, medicines, treatments, and at-home care to patients and families.

They need to explain complex medical and healthcare topics using simple words. This skill is particularly important for family nurse practitioners working with patients and families to provide health and education counseling.

One effective method to ensure that patients comprehend what is conveyed to them is the patient show-me strategy. This approach includes the providers asking patients to repeat the information, which improves understanding and memorization.

Personal relationships

Nurses are the ones who interact most with patients, so getting to know them is a step toward better understanding and more accessible communication.

Good personal relationships are defined as the ability of the nurse to ask questions with compassion and provide information in a way that does not scare patients, demonstrates interest, and creates feelings of acceptance, trust, and a harmonious relationship, especially in a modern multicultural society. Building these patient-centered relationships can be crucial in helping patients feel safe and comfortable and can even improve patient outcomes.

If you don’t know how to create such relations with your patients, here are some starter tips:

Spend a couple of extra minutes every day with each patient getting to know them
Ask questions
Find out a fun fact about them
Show interest in their lives and try to relate to their stories.

Nursing as a career is all about providing care for those in need. Hence, nurses must show care and compassion when giving information to patients. Expressing compassion is an essential communication skill nurses should possess. They can provide compassionate nursing care by putting themselves in the patient’s shoes and understanding their feelings, needs, and expectations.

Being empathetic can also help a nurse gain a patient’s trust. Such nurses acknowledge patients’ concerns, and with their kindness, they can help patients relax and feel calm before undergoing medical procedures or surgeries.

Cultural awareness

Because of the nature of healthcare, nurses may encounter patients from different countries, cultures, or religions, so they must know how to communicate and work with them adequately. Nurses need to build cultural awareness to develop meaningful relationships with their patients.

Cultural competence can assist them in delivering high-quality care and improving health outcomes. It can also help nurses empathize with a patient’s personal and social needs.

Communication Barriers in Nursing and How To Overcome Them

Communication barriers might be a result of weak patient-nurse interactions and relationships. Hence, sometimes the message sent is not received the way it was intended. It is crucial for nurses to reflect on personal factors that may influence their ability to communicate effectively.

Nurses must be aware of the potential barriers and try to reduce their impact by constantly seeking feedback and checking to see if the patients understand. Nonetheless, to overcome these barriers, we must first identify the types of communication barriers that nurses face.

Psychological barriers

The psychological states of the sender and the receiver influence how the message is sent, received, and perceived. For example, if nurses feel stressed and overwhelmed with required duties, nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, a hurried pace, or a sharp tone, can affect how the patient perceives the message. If a patient is feeling stressed, they might misinterpret the message. Nurses must be aware of signs of stress response in themselves and patients and implement proper strategies to manage stressful reactions.

Physical obstacles

The physical environment can make a huge difference in successful communication. A safe and cozy environment facilitates constructive communication, whereas insufficient lighting, room size, ambient noise, and lack of privacy can prevent that.

Nonetheless, while nurses are not in total control of their physical environment, there are a few things that can be done to improve their surroundings such as closing doors, keeping outside noises to a minimum, opening blinds, etc.

Social barriers

Social barriers include differences in age, language, culture, and religion. For example, children and seniors will have very different ideas about health and healthcare. Comprehending each patient’s cultural background can aid nurses in avoiding prejudice and communicating clearly. Adjusting your communication strategies depending on the patient is always a good idea.

How To Develop Your Nursing Communication Skills

Whether you are an undergraduate nursing student or enrolled in a graduate nursing program, improving communication skills should be part of your education. These skills are easy to practice on the job, as you will get plenty of opportunities to communicate with patients and your colleagues.

Nonetheless, whether you already have some experience or are just starting your career path in nursing, you constantly need to improve your communication skills. Here are a few tips on communicating effectively and becoming a better professional:

Pay attention
Use non-verbal signs to show active listening
Give constructive feedback

The Bottom Line

All types of communication are a vital part of the nursing profession. Communication is a necessary nursing quality that allows nurses to be successful in their roles, enhancing the efficacy of the healthcare provided, the patient experience, and the nurse’s well-being.

Begin polishing your communication skills now, and know there will always be room to improve for your benefit and those around you.

To become a nurse or advance your career in nursing through education, apply to one of our nursing programs today !

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Effective communication skills in nursing practice, elaine bramhall managing director, consultant and trainer, effective communication matters, manchester, england.

Nursing Standard . 29, 14, 53-59. doi: 10.7748/ns.29.14.53.e9355

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

Received: 18 July 2014

Accepted: 01 September 2014

communication - communication skills - active listening - non-verbal communication - nurse-patient relations

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09 December 2014 / Vol 29 issue 14

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‘The challenges facing nurse education must be tackled’

STEVE FORD, EDITOR

You are here: Assessment skills

Communication skills 1: benefits of effective communication for patients

20 November, 2017 By NT Contributor

This article, the first of a six-part series on communication skills, discusses the benefits of effective communication for patients and staff

Effective communication protects patients from potential harm arising from misunderstandings, and can have a positive effect on staff. This first article in a six-part series on communication skills discusses the benefits of effective communication and offers practical tips on how to reflect on your communication skills.

Citation: Ali M (2017) Communication skills 1: benefits of effective communication for patients. Nursing Times [online]; 113: 12, 18-19.

Author: Moi Ali is a communications consultant, a board member of the Scottish Ambulance Service and of the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Care, and a former vice-president of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed
Scroll down to read the article or download a print-friendly PDF here
Click here to see other articles in this series
Read Moi Ali’s comment

Introduction

It is estimated that the cost of poor communication to the NHS is over £1bn per year, and can lead to poor adherence to medication regimens, repeat visits to clinics, disputes and ultimately litigation (McDonald, 2016). Effective communication can:

Enhance the patient experience;
Reduce complaints;
Increase nurses’ self-confidence, professional standing, career prospects and job satisfaction and reduce stress.

Jones (2010) suggests that patients are less likely to remember technological interventions than the communication and human interaction from health professionals and judge the quality of their care by these markers. They have more confidence in health professionals who communicate effectively, which in turn makes it more likely that treatment regimens are followed or advice taken.

Effects of poor communication

Communication is defined as imparting or exchanging information, thoughts or ideas using speech, writing, or some other medium such as signals or behaviour. Effective communication protects patients from potential harm arising from misunderstandings. While communication failures leading to serious harm - such as the wrong leg being amputated - are rare, even minor shortcomings can have serious repercussions. For example, communication errors between colleagues can result in nurses giving the wrong medication, or patients taking an incorrect dose of the right one. Poor communication in an end-of-shift handover can result in patient harm if important information is not passed from one professional to another.

Although no nurse would set out with the intention of communicating poorly, not everyone can be a good communicator at all times. The Care Quality Commission’s 2016 Inpatient Survey asked patients whether they received an answer they could understand when asking a nurse an important question: 70% replied “yes, always”, an increase of four points since the 2006 and 2011 surveys, but a decrease of one percentage point from 2015 (CQC, 2017). Almost a third of patients did not understand nurses’ explanations some or all the time. Communication with patients can go wrong for a variety of reasons. Fig 1 illustrates typical factors that can have a negative effect on communication.

fig 1 barriers to effective comminication

Understanding patients’ needs

Communication failure, such as failing to introduce oneself, can occur when staff regard patients as a series of symptoms and tasks rather than as people with social and emotional needs; this can leave patients feeling dehumanised, while simple positive actions such as an explanation can have huge beneficial effects (see case study in Box 1).

Box 1. Seeing the patient behind the task

“A hospital nurse told me she needed to take my blood pressure. She duly recorded the results in my notes. Job done? No. She did not tell me the result, whether it was normal, or why it was necessary. It didn’t occur to her that I might be relieved to hear: ‘Your blood pressure has returned to the normal range’. What the nurse regarded as a task to be completed was an opportunity to reassure a worried patient.”

Patients sometimes selectively process information, hear only what they want to hear, and subconsciously reframe or over-simplify a message if they do not like its content. If your message is not interpreted as planned, understanding where it went wrong and why can help you to rephrase it so it is understood.

‘Teach-back’ is a useful technique to check patients’ understanding by asking them to summarise a message they have been given in their own words; in doing this you are checking your capacity to communicate, not the patient’s ability to understand. It is important to put yourself in your patient’s shoes and anticipate how your message may be received. Try to imagine how you, or someone close to you, might react and how the addition of a few reassuring words may prevent needless worry for patients.

Coping with anxiety

It is natural to be nervous when having difficult conversations with patients or their relatives. However, nervousness can have an adverse effect on communication, so you may forget to introduce yourself or maintain appropriate eye contact; or it may cause you to blush, stutter or frown – all of which will interfere with effective communication. Do not allow excessive nervousness to destroy your confidence in yourself or patients’ confidence in you. If you are nervous about a conversation with a patient or relative remember to:

Identify what you need to tell the patient and the aim of the conversation;
Take deep breaths before approaching the patient;
Pay attention to your body language;
Mentally rehearse your opening words – being fluent will put the patient at ease from the outset.

Reflecting on the conversation afterwards using the communication checklist in Box 2 is also helpful to improve your skills and confidence.

Box 2. Effective communication checklist

Use this checklist to identify areas for improvement. Do you:

Use appropriate language for your audience?
Listen actively and concentrate on what is being said?
Ask open questions to gain information?
Demonstrate you are listening?
Use appropriate body language?
Respond appropriately to other people’s body language?
Check you have understood and have been understood?
Seek clarification where necessary?
Correct misunderstandings?
Reflect on your performance?

Reflection activity

Think about a recent shift and your interaction with patients and use Box 2 to reflect on how you communicated with them. Identify scenarios where you communicate well and those where you need to improve. Become conscious of your communication style and analyse your strengths and weaknesses. Discuss these with your mentor or manager and identify your learning needs.

By spending a little time reflecting on how you communicate, and working at improving any weak areas, you can reap the many personal rewards of being an effective communicator – including a better patient experience for those in your care. The second article of this series will explore the barriers to communication in more detail.

It is estimated that the effects of poor communication cost the NHS over £1bn a year
Effective communication enhances patient experience and reduces complaints
It can boost nurses’ self-confidence and job satisfaction, as well as reduce workplace stress
It is important to reflect on how you communicate and work at improving any weak areas

Also in this series

Communication skills 2: overcoming the barriers to effective communication
Communication skills 3: non-verbal communication
Communication 4: the influence of appearance and environment
Communication 5: effective listening and observation skills
Communication skills 6: difficult and challenging conversations

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What are effective communication skills in nursing practice?

Nursing staff communicates with other care workers during a meeting.

Importance of effective communication skills in nursing practice

Effective communication in nursing is one of the most crucial components of the care profession, as nurses are the front-line professionals that provide assistance to patients and liaise with other members of the healthcare team . They communicate with patients, family members, doctors, specialists, and other support staff who are involved in patient care. Thus, it is important for them to have effective communication skills.

In this article, we will learn what communication skills are in nursing and the importance of them.

What are communication skills in nursing?

Communication is the exchange of information, thoughts, and feelings between people via voice or other means. In healthcare, patients and their families convey their worries and concerns to the nurse to help them make the correct decision regarding the client's treatment.

Communication aids in the execution of correct, consistent, and accessible nursing work, ensuring the patient's happiness and the health professional's safety. When health professionals do not possess communication skills , they have difficulty articulating what others are saying and find it challenging to guide or support others. Good communication skills are required while working with other healthcare providers. Moreover, nurses who take the time to listen to patients' concerns are better prepared to address issues as they arise, resulting in better patient outcomes.

Why are communication skills important in nursing in the UK?

Approaching each patient's engagement with the intention of understanding their problems, experiences, and thoughts is what effective communication entails. Active listening, patient demonstration approaches, and verbal and nonverbal communication skills are required for registered nurses . Effective communication skills in nursing are particularly critical for sustaining nurses' health, as they are frequently overworked, under pressure, and subjected to adverse conditions. Such situations make them overlook their own needs and well-being to help others, which can affect their mental and physical health.

6 reasons why communication skills are important in nursing

1. effective communication in nursing is critical in analysing a patient's response to treatment: .

Nurses must learn to communicate vocally with patients as well as understand nonverbal clues that may indicate a change in their patient's condition. For example, a subtle change in the patient's behaviour may go unnoticed by others, but a nurse should be able to identify such changes.

2. Communication with patients and families helps them relieve stress and improve patient outcomes:

The fear of the unknown can cause undue stress for patients and their families, and nurses can alleviate some of the stress the clients and their loved ones face. Thus, it becomes important to keep communicating openly and honestly.

3. Effective communication skills in nursing care can reduce the risk of errors in patient care:

By communicating with one another and documenting when care is provided or withheld, the likelihood of errors related to treatment lessens.

4. Effective communication skills in nursing will help identify special needs:

Many clients have needs that extend beyond their immediate medical concerns. For example, you could be assigned to a patient with a history of diabetes who requires a particular diabetic diet or one who has religious views that forbid them from participating in certain activities. Taking the time to discuss your patient's medical history and personal preferences is essential for developing care plans conducive to their physical and mental well-being .

5. Communication with your clients will help you identify and understand the social determinants impacting their health:

Lack of permanent housing, poverty, food insecurity, and unemployment are all connected with increased rates of chronic health disorders that lead to morbidity and mortality. Communicating with patients to understand the socioeconomic determinants affecting them is critical for designing care plans that address these concerns and improve patient outcomes.

6. Communication skills in nursing are vital for understanding the status of your patient's emotional and physical well-being:

Nurses often spend more time with patients than other types of providers. Nurses can deliver care on a deeper, more personal level if they use strong communication skills.

What are the 6 must-have communication skills for nursing?

Each patient has distinctive characteristics that influence how they communicate, such as their willingness to collaborate with nurses and manage their own health. Nursing staff uses various communication skills while interacting with patients and other healthcare professionals. Below are some of them:

1. Verbal communication:

Nurses use several modes of communication to assist patients and their families in understanding healthcare requirements and treatments. Verbal communication is one of the most efficient means of communication. Nursing personnel who use medical jargon or slang, on the other hand, may unintentionally create a barrier to their verbal communication procedures. Nurses should consider the receiver's preferred style of communication when speaking with others.

2. Non-verbal communication:

Since communication is a continual process, it can occur without the use of words. Gestures, facial expressions, posture, etc. are part of non-verbal communication. Hence, there must be an agreement between verbal and non-verbal communication, especially in stressful situations where it is difficult to understand non-verbal messages from patients.

3. Active listening:

Listening requires all the senses' attention and mobilisation to perceive verbal and non-verbal messages articulated by each patient. By actively listening to patients, you will be able to gain their trust and provide better care. One technique to practice active listening is to go over the major points you heard again.

4. Written communication:

Written communication comes in many forms in the healthcare system, such as nursing record keeping , written communication between supervisors and employees, and others. Thus, nursing staff should have good written communication skills so that they can convey messages properly. In recent years, electronic communication like e-mails, operational reports, etc. has largely replaced written communication in the UK.

5. Presentation skills:

Effective presentation skills are especially useful when transferring patient care to another nurse or healthcare provider. These abilities will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and competence in a variety of working contexts, including presenting at conferences, engaging in job interviews , providing physicians with case reports, and more.

6. Patient education:

Nurses, in most cases, serve as a bridge between the healthcare team and patients. Hence, they should be effective instructors when explaining health conditions, disease procedures, medicines, etc. There is a need to explain complex medical and healthcare topics in simple terms so that patients and their families can follow along. Nurse practitioners are the ones who require such skills as they provide health and education counseling.

These are some of the effective communication skills that nursing staff should possess. Communication skills in all forms are vital in the nursing sector, and to become a good nurse, such a skill is highly required.

We at Nurses Group , UK, understand the importance of effective communication skills in nursing and provide our staff with various training sessions focusing on developing their skill sets.

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Communication Skills in Nursing

Ai generator.

In the dynamic field of nursing, communication skills are as vital as medical expertise. This comprehensive guide explores the nuances of communication in nursing, highlighting the importance of empathy, clarity, and effectiveness. Through real-life communication examples , nurses can learn how to enhance patient interactions, collaborate efficiently with healthcare teams, and navigate challenging conversations. This resource is essential for any nursing professional aiming to provide exceptional care and build strong, trust-based relationships with patients and colleagues.

What are Communication Skills in Nursing?

Communication skills in nursing are essential abilities that nurses use to interact effectively with patients, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals. These skills involve a combination of active listening, clear verbal expression, empathetic understanding, and appropriate non-verbal cues. Effective communication in nursing includes:

Active Listening : Fully focusing on the speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully.
Empathy : Showing genuine care and understanding of patients’ emotions and experiences.
Clarity and Conciseness : Conveying information in a straightforward and understandable manner.
Patient Education : Clearly explaining medical procedures and treatments to patients.
Interprofessional Communication : Collaborating and sharing information effectively with other healthcare team members.

These skills are crucial for providing quality patient care, ensuring safety, and maintaining a positive working environment.

30 Communication Skills in Nursing Examples

Effective communication in nursing is critical for providing high-quality patient care and ensuring smooth team collaboration. This section offers 30 distinct examples of communication skills specifically tailored for nursing professionals. Each example includes practical communication sentences and explanations, demonstrating how nurses can apply these skills in various clinical settings. These examples focus on empathy, clarity, patient engagement, and teamwork, essential for fostering a healing environment and promoting patient well-being.

Empathetic Patient Interaction : “I understand this procedure can be concerning, let’s go through it together.” Shows empathy and reassurance to patients facing anxiety about medical procedures.
Clarifying Patient Concerns : “Could you tell me more about the symptoms you’re experiencing?” Encourages patients to share details, aiding accurate diagnosis.
Active Listening to Patient Feedback : “I’m here to listen to all your concerns.” Demonstrates attentiveness and willingness to understand patient issues.
Effective Handover Communication : “The patient in room 5 requires extra monitoring for their blood pressure.” Ensures critical patient information is accurately conveyed to the next shift.
Delivering Difficult News with Sensitivity : “I need to discuss your test results, let’s find a quiet place to talk.” Shows consideration in choosing an appropriate setting for sensitive conversations.
Assertive Communication in Team Meetings : “Based on my observations, I suggest we revise the care plan.” Demonstrates assertiveness and confidence in sharing professional opinions.
Collaborative Communication with Colleagues : “What do you think about this approach for our patient’s care plan?” Encourages teamwork and collective decision-making in patient care.
Patient Education on Medication : “This medication helps with your condition by…” Informs patients about their medications and their effects in an understandable way.
Calm Communication in Emergencies : “Please stay calm, we are doing everything we can to help you.” Maintains composure and reassures patients during emergency situations.
Showing Compassion in Palliative Care : “We are here to make you as comfortable as possible.” Expresses compassion and support in end-of-life care.
Building Rapport with Patients : “How are you feeling today compared to yesterday?” Establishes a connection and tracks patient progress.
Respecting Patient Privacy : “I assure you that your health information will remain confidential.” Reassures patients about the confidentiality of their health information.
Handling Patient Complaints : “I understand your frustration, let’s see how we can address this.” Addresses patient grievances with understanding and a proactive approach.
Encouraging Patient Autonomy : “What are your thoughts on the options we discussed?” Supports patient involvement in their own care decisions.
Positive Language in Patient Interactions : “You’re making great progress with your recovery.” Uses positive affirmations to encourage and motivate patients.
Explaining Procedures Clearly : “Here’s what will happen during the examination…” Provides clear and concise explanations of medical procedures.
Cultural Competence in Communication : “I respect your cultural practices and will accommodate them in your care.” Acknowledges and respects diverse cultural backgrounds in patient care.
Non-Verbal Cues in Patient Assessment : Observing patient’s body language to gauge discomfort or pain. Utilizes non-verbal communication to enhance patient assessment.
Communicating with Pediatric Patients : “This little bandage will help your boo-boo heal faster.” Uses age-appropriate language and tone with child patients.
Debriefing After Critical Incidents : “Let’s discuss what we learned from this situation.” Facilitates team learning and improvement following challenging incidents.
Feedback to Nursing Students : “You did well in administering the IV, next time make sure to double-check the dosage.” Provides constructive feedback to enhance learning and development.
Verbalizing Observations : “I’ve noticed a change in your breathing pattern, let’s monitor it closely.” Vocalizes clinical observations for thorough patient monitoring.
Inclusive Communication with Family Members : “We value your input in your family member’s care plan.” Includes family members in discussions about patient care.
Setting Expectations with Patients : “You should start to see improvement within a few days of starting this treatment.” Sets realistic expectations about treatment outcomes.
Negotiating with Patients on Care Choices : “If you’re uncomfortable with this option, we can explore alternatives.” Shows flexibility and willingness to consider patient preferences.
Motivational Communication for Patient Adherence : “Sticking to your medication schedule will greatly help your recovery.” Encourages patients to adhere to treatment plans for better outcomes.
Confidential Discussions about Health Issues : “Let’s talk in a private space about your health concerns.” Prioritizes privacy in discussing sensitive health issues.
Reassuring Patients During Procedures : “You’re doing great, we’re almost done with this part.” Offers reassurance and support during medical procedures.
Communicating with Diverse Age Groups : Adapting communication style to be effective with different age groups, from children to seniors. Demonstrates adaptability in communication with a varied patient demographic.
Expressing Gratitude to Team Members : “Thank you for your quick response in that emergency, it made a difference.” Acknowledges and appreciates the efforts of fellow healthcare professionals.

Why are Good Communication Skills Important for Nursing?

Good communication skills are vital in nursing for several reasons. They enhance patient care and safety, facilitate teamwork, and improve the overall efficiency of healthcare services.

Improving Patient Outcomes : Effective communication helps in understanding patient needs, leading to accurate diagnoses and better care plans.
Building Trust and Rapport : Good communication establishes trust between nurses and patients, essential for effective treatment and care.
Enhancing Team Collaboration : Clear and concise communication among healthcare professionals ensures coordinated and efficient patient care.
Reducing Errors : Accurate and timely information exchange can significantly reduce medical errors and enhance patient safety.
Supporting Patient Compliance : Patients are more likely to follow treatment plans when they understand their condition and care process.

In essence, good communication skills in nursing are fundamental to every aspect of patient care and are integral to the success and effectiveness of the healthcare system.

How Do Nurses Demonstrate Communication Skills?

Nurses exemplify communication skills through various methods that are critical for effective patient care and team collaboration.

Empathy and Active Listening

Understanding Patient Needs : Nurses show empathy by attentively listening to patients, understanding their concerns and fears.
Active Engagement : They engage in active listening, ensuring the patient feels heard and understood.

Clear and Concise Information Delivery

Explaining Medical Information : Nurses break down complex medical jargon into understandable language for patients and families.
Effective Handover : They communicate critical patient information clearly and succinctly during shift changes to other healthcare professionals.

Non-Verbal Communication

Body Language and Gestures : Nurses use supportive body language and facial expressions to convey care and understanding.
Observing Patient Cues : They are adept at reading non-verbal cues from patients, which is essential in patient assessment.

Emotional Support and Reassurance

Providing Comfort : Nurses offer comfort and reassurance, especially in stressful or painful experiences.
Emotional Availability : They remain emotionally present and supportive, building trust and rapport with patients.

How to Improve Communication Skills in Nursing?

Improving communication skills in nursing involves continuous learning and practice. Here are some ways nurses can enhance these skills:

Regular Training and Education

Communication Workshops : Attending workshops and seminars focused on healthcare communication.
Continued Education : Enrolling in courses that emphasize patient-nurse communication.

Practice and Reflection

Role-Playing Scenarios : Practicing different patient scenarios to improve verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
Self-Reflection : Reflecting on daily interactions to identify areas of improvement.

Seeking Feedback

Peer Feedback : Asking colleagues for constructive feedback on communication methods.
Patient Feedback : Encouraging patients to provide feedback on their communication experience.

Staying Informed

Keeping Up-to-Date : Staying updated with the latest communication techniques and tools in healthcare.
Technology Utilization : Learning to effectively use healthcare communication technology.

Tips for Effective Communication Skills in Nursing

Effective communication is a cornerstone of nursing. Here are some tips to enhance these skills:

Build a Rapport

Personal Connection : Taking time to know patients personally helps in building rapport.
Showing Interest : Genuine interest in patients’ lives enhances communication.

Be Clear and Direct

Clarity in Instructions : Giving clear and direct instructions to avoid confusion.
Simplifying Medical Terms : Using layman’s terms when explaining medical conditions and treatments.

Maintain Professionalism

Respectful Interaction : Always communicating with respect and professionalism.
Confidentiality : Upholding patient confidentiality in all communications.

Adaptability

Adjusting Communication Style : Adapting communication style based on patient age, culture, and understanding.
Flexibility : Being flexible in approach, especially in challenging situations.

Continuous Improvement

Feedback Acceptance : Being open to feedback and willing to improve.
Self-Awareness : Being aware of one’s own communication style and its impact.

By following these guidelines, nurses can significantly enhance their communication abilities, leading to improved patient care and more effective teamwork in healthcare settings.

In conclusion, communication skills in nursing are pivotal for ensuring effective patient care and fostering a collaborative healthcare environment. Nurses who excel in these skills enhance patient comfort, ensure clearer understanding of medical needs, and contribute significantly to positive healthcare outcomes. Embracing these communication techniques is essential for every nursing professional committed to providing exceptional patient care and maintaining a productive and harmonious workplace in the healthcare sector.

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Communication in Nursing Practice

Lambrini kourkouta.

1 Nursing Department, Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Greece

Ioanna V. Papathanasiou

2 Nursing Department, Technological Educational Institute of Larissa, Greece

Good communication between nurses and patients is essential for the successful outcome of individualized nursing care of each patient. To achieve this, however, nurses must understand and help their patients, demonstrating courtesy, kindness and sincerity. Also they should devote time to the patient to communicate with the necessary confidentiality, and must not forget that this communication includes persons who surround the sick person, which is why the language of communication should be understood by all those involved in it. Good communication also is not only based on the physical abilities of nurses, but also on education and experience.

1. INTRODUCTION

Nursing as a health care science, focuses on serving the needs of human as a biopsychosocial and spiritual being. Its practice requires not only scientific knowledge, but also interpersonal, intellectual and technical abilities and skills. This means a composition of knowledge, clinical work and interpersonal communication ( 1 ). Communication is a vital element in Nursing in all areas of activity and in all its interventions such as prevention, treatment, therapy, rehabilitation, education and health promotion ( 2 ). The nursing process moreover as a scientific method of exercise and implementation of Nursing, is achieved through dialogue, through interpersonal environment and with specific skills of verbal communication ( 3 ).

As communication we can define the exchange of information, thoughts and feelings among people using speech or other means. Therapeutic practice involves the oral communication of public health officials and nurses on the one hand and the patient or his relatives on the other. It is a two way process. The patient conveys their fears and concerns to their nurse and helps them make a correct nursing diagnosis. The nurse takes the information and in turn transmits other information to the patient with discretion and delicacy as to the nature of the disease and advises with treatment and a rehabilitation plan for health promotion ( 4 ).

Effective communication requires an understanding of the patient and the experiences they express. It requires skills and simultaneously the sincere intention of the nurse to understand what concerns the patient. To understand the patient only is not sufficient but the nurse must also convey the message that he/she is understandable and acceptable. It is a reflection of the knowledge of the participants, the way they think and feel and their capabilities ( 5 ).

In order for the nurses to be successful in their work they have to study communication and interpersonal relations in their education with special courses and internships. They need to learn the various aspects and applications of communication in various fields of nursing ( 6 ). In this context it is understood that emphasis must be placed on the importance of communication between nurse and patient and nursing education must focus on communication skills of nurses.

2. PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication can be defined as a transaction and message creation. The entire process occurs in a context consisting of physical space, cultural and social values and psychological conditions ( 7 ). Communication assists in the performance of accurate, consistent and easy nursing work, ensuring both the satisfaction of the patient and the protection of the health professional. When health professionals are not trained in communication skills, they face more difficulties separating work from their personal life, tending to transfer problems from one side to the other ( 8 ).

Communication is an intrinsic characteristic of human nature. Nobody cannot communicate. Communication has content and value. The contents regards to what was said, whilst the relationship regards as to how it was said. The nature of the relationship depends on how the two parties understand the communication sequence ( 9 ). Communication is never unidirectional. It is an interaction in which each sender becomes receiver and vice versa. The failure to recognize the two-way communication capability, quite often leads to negative conclusions and attitudes ( 10 ).

Moreover, the message sent is not the same as the message received. The decoding of the messages is based on individual factors and subjective perceptions. This fact, in conjunction with the process of feedback makes communication. We interpret something that we heard not according to what the sender actually said but according to our own code ( 11 ). Particular attention should be given by the caregivers to use technical terms and medical terminology during their contact with the ill, because it is often found that the patient ascribes different interpretations to what he hears or even more cannot understand what is meant exactly, mainly by the therapist, thus increasing mental stress, a fact which makes it more difficult to communicate with the patient ( 12 ).

Communication happens without words. It is an ongoing process. This non-verbal communication is expressed by facial expressions, gestures, posture and physical barriers such as distance from the interlocutor ( 13 ). It is important that there is an agreement between verbal and nonverbal communication. Particularly under stressful conditions where it is difficult to see the changes in the non-verbal messages of the patients with whom we mostly communicate ( 14 ). Moreover, each patient has his own specific characteristics that influence not only behavior in the process of communication, but also if and how to cooperate with nursing services and how they will undertake self-management of health ( 15 ).

Listening is important in communication. It is responsible nursing practice and requires concentration of attention and mobilization of all the senses for the perception of verbal and non-verbal messages emitted by each patient. By listening, nurses assess the situation and the problems of the patient; they enhance his/her self-esteem and integrate both the nursing diagnosis and the process of care at all levels ( 5 ).

Good personal relationships are described as the ability of the nurse to ask questions with kindness and provide information in a way that does not scare, that demonstrates interest, creates feelings of acceptance, trust and a harmonious relationship, especially in modern multicultural society ( 16 ). The therapeutic relationship is an important prerequisite to effective communication between health professionals and patients in order not only to transmit information, but also to effectively address mental processes which are activated by it. The communication between health professionals and patients include the ability to express sincere concern for the care of the patient and the patient becomes a partaker of this interest ( 9 ).

3. SPEAKING WITH THE PATIENT

Communication between health officials-in this case nurses-and patient is a process that begins with the first contact of the two and lasts as long as the therapeutic relationship. The nurse, who wants to create the right relationship with the patient, must win him/her from the first moment. This will happen if the conversation is held in appropriate conditions. Even though it seems obvious, it should be noted that courtesy and kindness on part of the nurse is required ( 4 , 17 ).

The patient should feel comfortable with the nurse, but the latter should protect his/her prestige and not give rise to misunderstandings. A key element is the need for a peaceful environment with no external distractions, which will ensure appropriate confidentiality of the dialogue. Frequently we see the phenomenon of serious discussions taking place in the middle of the corridor of the outpatient department or the nursing department, clinic, or in some office of the hospital, in which third parties unrelated to the care of the individual patient are coming in and out ( 18 ). In such an environment the patients are ashamed to express themselves freely ( 19 ).

Unfortunately, the concept of privacy is pretty much unknown to the Greek hospital system. Skilled nursing operations for the patients are made in chambers without screens or in hallways, in front of others. Patients and visitors of hospitals move without restriction in all the areas of the nursing and clinical departments. However, it is up to us to teach our colleagues and especially the new nurses and their patients setting the right example, in order for things to slowly change for the better ( 20 ).

Even more than the comfort of space, communication with the patient requires ample time. Each patient has his own way and pace to reveal his problem, but it takes some time to get to know the nurses and feel the confidence necessary to face them. The patient should have the feeling that the time-whether it is five minutes or an hour-is entirely his. The patient who has the undivided attention of the nurse reveals his problem sooner, with the satisfaction that the nurse has listened and observed him ( 21 ). After the nurse has listened to the ill, he/she should also talk to him. The language he uses for this purpose is very important. Often the patient is bombarded with big words with little or no significance for him ( 22 ). Once again the nurse may be directed to the ill in an incomprehensible way. Patients that are ashamed of their ignorance or are hesitant, avoid seeking an explanation, and as a result the consultation is inadequate and does not lead to the right outcome for the patient. The language of communication should therefore be at the level of the listener, who is not able to assess our scientific knowledge, but has to understand what we are telling him ( 23 ).

Another important requirement for proper and successful communication between nurses and patients is frankness and honesty. The discussion with the patient should leave no suspicions, doubts and misunderstandings. For example, if the patient suspects that while chatting with him we are making gestures to an escort, he/she will suspect that we are not telling him the whole truth ( 4 ). Where there is a need for a separate and private discussion with someone from the patient’s environment, we should be very careful of the place, manner and time of this communication, which should be independent of the discussion with the patient ( 24 , 25 ).

Communication as already stated is bidirectional, but the nurse or other health professional is responsibility for its proper conduct. The patient comes into the dialogue under stress and the emotional events he/she is facing. Moreover, depending on the psychosynthesis it can be more or less calm. Reactions such as anger, disbelief, moaning, aggression and denial of reality are known defence mechanisms, which are recruited to help him adjust to the new situation he is facing ( 8 , 26 ). The angry patient usually does not have any previous personal differences with health professionals, although they are the direct recipients of his anger. The latter should understand and accept these mechanisms which serve the underlying anxiety of the patient and to respond with information, awareness and readiness to provide all possible assistance ( 27 ).

Finally, people differ in their needs for communication. Some expect or require patient listening, without caring much about the answers. Others want a specific explanation for everything that happens to them. These different needs should be treated accordingly by the nurses, who should be able to detect what each patient wants ( 28 ). What of course in any case should be avoided by the caregivers is silence and indifference to the questions of the patient. In the best cases, the patient will leave disappointed and in the worst really indignant with nurses ( 9 ).

4.CONCLUSIONS

Communication with the patient is an individual part of the ‘long art’ of Hippocratic medicine ( 19 ). It is not only based on an innate ability that varies from person to person, but also on the necessary training and experience that one acquires during exercise ( 13 ). The need also for education in communication has been recognized worldwide ( 6 ). The results of this will be to demonstrate greater understanding among patients with greater benefit to patients and personal satisfaction to nurses in the performance of nursing ( 29 ).

Good communication also improves the quality of care provided to patients, which is observed in the results. Additionally, it is considered an inalienable right and a prerequisite for building a genuine and meaningful relationship between patients and nurses and other health professionals ( 30 ).

So in order for modern Nursing as a service to humans to realize the project, there is a need for dialogue and a good interpersonal climate that develops personally with each sick person, especially in our modern multicultural society. The best expertise training and continuing education of nurses in matters relating to the proper technique of communication will enable them to respond adequately and humanely to the expectations of patients.

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Top 10 Essential Nursing Skills You Need to Have

What Are Soft Skills?

Top 10 Nursing Soft Skills

How to Hone These Nursing Skills

Top 10 Essential Nursing Skills You Need to Have

As nurses, we must master many skills to become competent. In nursing school, we learn how to thoroughly assess our patients. Students conquer complicated equipment while also learning the intricacies of the human body. After graduation, we begin to advance our careers and continue to hone these “hard skills.”

But beyond those, have you ever heard of soft skills? These are a completely different set of skills that are not specific to nursing, but you probably guessed it…a good nurse needs to have certain soft skills too! We’ve rounded up the top essential soft skills that nurses need to have in order to be successful.

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What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills or “people skills” are essential to nursing because nurses deal with patients, their families, and caregivers every day.

These skills are not necessarily testable in the sense of an exam, but are traits we develop as we grow and mature. Good soft skills are highly sought after in any workplace, not just nursing. Those who have good soft skills tend to be more successful in their career.

So, let’s dive a little deeper into some of the top soft skills every nurse should possess.

1. Communication

I think we can all understand why having good communication skills is essential in nursing. We work with a variety of people, from professionals such as doctors and pharmacists to our patients, who often have no formal understanding of the medical field.

A nurse must be able to communicate effectively on many different levels. Effective communication is essential to successful patient outcomes.

2. Compassion

Compassion is defined as “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” As nurses, it is imperative we show compassion to our patients and their families, especially in times of illness. It is what we are trained to do…understand our patient’s situation and try to help them.

Nurses tend to be nurturers by nature, and although this one can be tough when we lose a patient , it is still a very vital trait to have as a nurse.

3. Conflict Resolution

At some point in your nursing career, you will have to resolve a conflict. That conflict may be between you and a co-worker or a patient and a family member. Regardless, you need to have the ability to handle conflicts in a healthy way , so that the outcome is positive for all involved.

4. Critical Thinking

There are many long and broad definitions of critical thinking, but it can be defined simply as “disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence.”

In order to be a good critical thinker, you must also have a good solid foundation of nursing knowledge to develop an informed decision. This skills is important in all aspects of nursing but is of utmost importance for APRNs and ICU nurses.

Not everything in nursing is textbook. In fact, most things in nursing are not textbook examples, which is one reason critical thinking is a central part of nursing programs. For anyone struggling with critical thinking, just know, as we become more seasoned in our careers, we become better critical thinkers.

5. Dependability

Who loves the coworker who constantly is calling out of work, leaving the rest of the team struggling to cover their patients? Or the coworker that is consistently late getting to work, causing you to clock out late every single shift? Don’t get me wrong, we all have things that come up where we have to take off, but being dependable is very important. It not only impacts the way our co-workers view us, but it also affects the quality of care and safety of our patients.

6. Initiative

Taking initiative means assessing a situation and taking action to address it on your own. Nurses who take initiative stand out in a unit, as it is a critical aspect of leadership in nursing. Depending on the circumstances, taking initiative can lead to small achievements or much greater successes because nurses are key players in practice improvements .

As a nurse, we see firsthand what works and what doesn’t. Nurses who take the initiative to bring these things to light help contribute to better nursing practices. You could be the one who discovers a better way of practicing for all nurses just by taking the initiative!

7. Professionalism

Professionalism is defined as “the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person.” How you treat your co-workers and your patients reflects your level of professionalism.

In nursing, we are expected to adhere to the nursing code of ethics , which includes autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence. The code of ethics is part of nursing professionalism. Being respectful towards others is an absolute must in nursing!

8. Resilience

With the ever-changing world of nursing, being resilient is a must. A resilient nurse has “the ability to face adverse situations, remain focused, and continue to be optimistic for the future.” Nurses were pushed to the breaking point during the pandemic but remained resilient. No matter how resilient you are, always remember that self-care is also important!

9. Teamwork

It’s always refreshing to work with team players. We all need help at times. When nurses work successfully as a team , patient outcomes are better, and the load is lighter on everyone.

When you are a team player, your co-workers won’t mind helping you when you need help.

10. Time Management and Flexibility

Good time management skills are imperative to becoming an efficient nurse. Even with excellent time management skills , you must also be flexible. Time management and flexibility go hand in hand.

We all know what it’s like to have our shift planned out, pacing ourselves, and then…boom…someone codes and everything we had planned goes to the wayside.

Once things are under control, it’s time to regroup and reorganize our time for the remainder of our shift. Good time management and remaining flexible will make the shift much more structured so you won’t find yourself running around in limbo.

How to Hone These Nursing Skills

Practicing soft skills should be a daily occurrence for continued self-improvement.

Some may come easier than others, but soft skills are just as important as hard skills. Remember, practice makes perfect. If you are a new grad or still in nursing school, give yourself time and grace to work on these skills. But know that they are just as important as learning how to insert a Foley catheter or how to draw blood correctly.

Christy Book , BSN, RN, is a registered nurse from Louisiana. She has served as an assistant director of nursing, director of nursing, and divisional director of nursing in the long-term care setting. Other nursing experience includes medical-surgical, allied health instructor, and immigration. She is also an American Heart Association BLS Instructor. Christy’s passion for writing, researching, and educating others is what led her to become a nurse writer.

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Understanding Communication in Nursing (With Examples, Importance
As a nursing instructor, I cannot stress the importance of effective communication skills in nursing enough. Here are some tips on ways you can improve your communication skills. 1. Use the right tone when speaking to others. Effective communication skills in nursing include the way you relate to patients, their loved ones, and your peers.
30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing
30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing
Communication Skills in Nursing: Definition and Examples
Communication Skills in Nursing: Definition and Examples
Chapter 2 Communication
Chapter 2 Communication - Nursing Fundamentals
Effective Communication in Nursing: Helpful Tips and Examples ⚕️
Effective communication skills in nursing practice mean being able to share important information, needs, feelings, and plans clearly and kindly. This includes talking, writing, listening, and understanding without judgment. This helps build trust between nurses and patients, making education, safety, respectful care, health, and good results ...
10 Effective Nursing Communication Skills for Nurse Leaders
To ensure information is relayed properly, a few key nursing communication skills optimize delivery among staff, organizational leaders, and stakeholders. 1. Verbal Communication. Effective communicators are assertive in their approach. Using calm, measured speech and a respectful tone, nurse leaders can minimize the risk of miscommunication ...
How Can Nurses Enhance Their Communication Skills?
Practicing Communication Through Role-Play. Role-plays are beneficial in practicing all facets of communication. In a nursing context, this could involve scenarios like delivering bad news, explaining a procedure, or discussing a patient's care plan. This allows for constructive feedback, helping you improve your communication skills.
The Importance of Effective Communication in Nursing
The Importance of Effective Communication in Nursing
Building Effective Communication Skills: A Guide for Nurses
1. Active Listening: Before speaking, it's essential to listen. Active listening involves fully concentrating, understanding, and responding to what the other person is saying. For nurses, this means: Offering undivided attention, free from distractions. Avoiding interrupting and allowing the speaker to finish.
Effective communication skills in nursing practice
It focuses on core communication skills, their definitions and the positive outcomes that result when applied to practice. Effective communication is central to the provision of compassionate, high-quality nursing care. The article aims to refresh and develop existing knowledge and understanding of effective communication skills.
Interpersonal and communication skills development in nursing
Teaching effective interpersonal and communication skills requires providing the relevant knowledge, as well as guiding and coaching learning to develop and enhance these skills. It takes time and experience to build effective interpersonal and communication skills, beginning with foundational skills, for example, knowing when to use open-ended ...
The Importance of Effective Nursing Communication Skills
Good communication denotes approaching every patient interaction intending to understand the patient's concerns, experiences, and thoughts. This includes active listening, patient show-me techniques, and verbal and nonverbal communication skills for a registered nurse.. Effective communication skills in nursing are also vital for maintaining the health of the nurses themselves.
Important Communication Skills for Nurses (With Tips)
This involves written communication and computer skills like typing. Accuracy and speed are important for nurses, since patient care can depend on these records and a nurse may provide care for many people throughout a shift. Speaking with patients appropriately: Communication plays an important role in a nurse's bedside manner, which is the ...
Effective communication skills in nursing practice
This article highlights the importance of effective communication skills for nurses. It focuses on core communication skills, their definitions and the positive outcomes that result when applied to practice. Effective communication is central to the provision of compassionate, high-quality nursing care. The article aims to refresh and develop ...
20 Communication Techniques in Nursing To Improve Care
20 communication techniques in nursing. 1. Listen compassionately. One of the best things you can do as a nurse is to listen attentively to your patients and their families. You can show compassion and support through your body language, such as using kind words, gestures and facial expressions.
Communication skills 1: benefits of effective ...
Communication skills 1: benefits of effective ...
How Effective Communication in Nursing Makes a Difference
Focusing on improved communication, among other skills, can increase nurses' emotional intelligence, which leads to improved patient safety and higher-quality care. 1 Effective nursing communication also strengthens trust in nurse-patient relationships and leads to better patient outcomes and higher satisfaction. 1.
What are effective communication skills in nursing practice?
6 reasons why communication skills are important in nursing. 1. Effective communication in nursing is critical in analysing a patient's response to treatment: Nurses must learn to communicate vocally with patients as well as understand nonverbal clues that may indicate a change in their patient's condition.
Communication Skills in Nursing
These skills involve a combination of active listening, clear verbal expression, empathetic understanding, and appropriate non-verbal cues. Effective communication in nursing includes: Active Listening: Fully focusing on the speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully. Empathy: Showing genuine care and understanding of ...
Communication in Nursing Practice
Communication in Nursing Practice - PMC
Top 10 Essential Nursing Skills You Need to Have
3. Conflict Resolution. At some point in your nursing career, you will have to resolve a conflict. That conflict may be between you and a co-worker or a patient and a family member. Regardless, you need to have the ability to handle conflicts in a healthy way, so that the outcome is positive for all involved.
Nursing Communication Skills: Definition And Examples
Nursing communication skills are the traits and abilities that help nurses improve nurse -patient relationships and deliver accurate patient care. Nurses are the frontline workforce in the healthcare industry and they require good communication to perform their duties and responsibilities. Nurses assist patients in recovering from health issues ...
Essential Nurse Communication Skills
Thus, it is extremely important for nurses to have strong communication skills, and be vigilant about using best practices throughout every shift. The following list highlights some of the most important communication skills in nursing that can help you ensure a successful career. Apply Now. The Top 10 Communication Skills in Nursing 1.
10.6: Barriers to Effective Communication
While gender is internal, social influences and perceptions can shape a person's attitude and method of communication. For example, in some families and cultures, men are raised to be more dominant or less emotionally expressive. Their use of that approach may lead to communication problems with others.
Preparing Nursing Students to Communicate with Mental Health Patients
To determine the impact of using SPS prior to clinical practice on the anxiety levels and communication skills of nursing students who attend mental health and psychiatric nursing courses. Semi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design: n=85 nursing students: The intervention group had decreased anxiety and improved communication skills.

30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing + How to Use Them

What is Therapeutic Communication in Nursing?

Mastering Effective Communication in Nursing: Key Skills to Enhance Patient Care

Table of contents

Why is effective communication important in healthcare?

2. Better connections and trust:

3. Working together as a team:

Communication Style in Nursing

Difference Between Effective and Ineffective Communication

1. Active Listening:

2. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence:

3. Clarity and Conciseness:

4. Respecting Cultures:

5. Speaking Up and Fixing Problems:

6. Teamwork:

1. With Patients:

2. With Colleagues:

3. With Families and Caregivers:

SBAR Communication Framework in Healthcare

AIBET Framework

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10 Effective Nursing Communication Skills for Nurse Leaders

Organizational Nursing Communication Skills

1. Verbal Communication

2. Nonverbal Communication

3. Written Communication

4. Presentation Skills

Rapport-Building Nursing Communication Skills

5. Active Listening

6. Compassion

Contextual Nursing Communication Skills

8. Cultural Competency

9. Religious Beliefs

10. Education

Develop Better Communication Skills to Provide Better Care

University Administration

The Importance of Effective Communication in Nursing

Why Is Communication Important in Nursing?

10 Effective Communication Skills for Nurses

1. Verbal Communication

2. Nonverbal Communication

3. Active Listening

4. Written Communication

5. Presentation Skills

6. Patient Education (Patient Teach-Back)

7. Making Personal Connections

9. Cultural Awareness

10. Compassion

How to Overcome Communication Barriers in Nursing

Physical Barriers

Social Barriers

Psychological Barriers

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The Importance of Effective Nursing Communication Skills

What Are Communication Skills in Nursing?

Why Are Communication Skills Important in Nursing?

9 Must-Have Communication Skills for Nurses

Verbal communication

Nonverbal communication

Active listening

Written communication

Presentation skills

Patient education

Personal relationships

Cultural awareness