Barriers to Effective Communication for Nurses Essay -- Papers Nurse N

Barriers to Effective Communication Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between two or more people; this is something that we do all the time. It is important that nurses recognize that communication is the key to good holistic care, as patients need reassurance and information regarding their care. Communication is so much more than just talking to one another. It is how people respond to each other in many different ways (Langs 1983). Some examples of communication are talking, writing, signing, reading and body language, which is suggested, has several elements (Dimbleby and Burton 1992). Communication can be very effective but first it needs to be established, and then maintained. Nurses can do this during an assessment when a patient/client comes into hospital. However, it is argued that barriers to communication can prevent appropriate and effective care being given to patients. Communication can either facilitate the development of a therapeutic relationship or create barriers (Stuart and Sundeen 1995). Because of their diverse nature, communication disorders are difficult to classify (Crystal, 1980). You can discover problems simply by observing an individual. Observation can be used to establish which language is being used, if the client has any hearing difficulties or visual impairments, physical illness or disability, or if there are learning difficulties. Any of these issues could control how well a person is able to communicate with you. Therefore, for the purpose of this piece of work, I have chosen to explore two barriers to communication, and illustrate key points.... ... Ellis, R.B. Gates, R.J. Kenworthy, N. 1995. Interpersonal Communication in Nursing. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Lewycka, M. 2001.Caring For Someone With A Hearing Loss. London: Age Concern Martin, M. Grover, B. 1986. Hearing Loss. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone McMillan, M. Townsend, J. 1994 Reflections on Contemporary Nursing Practice. Australia: Reed International Books. McQuail, D. 1984. Communication. 2nd Edition. United States of America: Longman Inc. Nolan, Y. 2001. NVQ Level 3 In Care. Oxford: Heinemann. Peplau, H.E. 1988. Interpersonal Relations in Nursing. Hampshire: Macmillan Education Ltd. Riley, J.B. 2000 Communication in Nursing. 4th Edition. United States of America: Mosby Inc. Syder, D. 1992. An Introduction to Communication Disorders. London: Chapman and Hall.