Benefits Of Effective Communication In Nursing

Pages:

3

Academic Level:

University

Paper Type:

Argumentative Essay

Discipline:

Nursing

Benefits Of Effective Communication In Nursing

Nurses play a vital role in delivering healthcare services and are essential in the health system for its strengthening. They act as the leading responders to any crisis and coordinators within staff and patients. However, the benefits of effective communication in nursing are often undervalued. Communication is the necessary component of cooperation, collaboration, and relations between nurses and patients and among staff members. Communication requires the patient's understanding and the freedom to express it for it to be effective. Patient outcomes and nursing performance is a reflection of communication within the hospital setting. The objective of this research paper is to explore the benefits of effective communication in nursing practice.

"Health literacy among healthcare professionals is more than general literacy; it requires the understanding and ability to understand and act upon health information given," notes Tingle (2014). Nurses are the core in line of communication regarding patient health to other healthcare professionals involved. They have to quickly assess, evaluate, and act towards understanding the patient's condition then report to the team members. The ability of the nurses to communicate effectively is thus critical in providing good healthcare. Sibiya also notes that communication quality and effectiveness as nurses interact with patients greatly influence patient outcomes (2018). Effective communication lessens medical errors. Communicating with patients to understand some of their medical allergies or social determinants may increase their health. Also, medical errors can result from patients taking an incorrect dose, communication errors between staff members, or poor communication during a hand-over at the end of the shift. Thus, effective communication protects patients from avoidable medical errors and potential harm from staff misunderstandings.

Another notable benefit of effective communication in improving health care is that nurses can easily identify the patient's specialized needs. Sometimes patients may require needs such as religious beliefs or specialized diets that are over their medical care. Suppose their communication and interaction with the nurses is effective. In that case, nurses can ensure that such requirements are met and that the care quality provided is not compromised by providing that information to the team members. Patients are likely to show more confidence in nurses and doctors who communicate effectively. This advantage makes the patient more expected to follow regimens or advice given. Patients may not remember technological interventions used in their recovery but will pay more attention to communication patterns and human interaction between nurses and other health professionals. They judge this relationship with the quality of care provided. Patients are highly likely to respond positively to treatment if the human interaction from and by health professionals is effective. The ineffective communication between professionals with the patients may cause the patient to pretend to understand the information they do not. All health professionals have a duty of maintaining efficient communication with their patients and placing them at ease. It will improve both patient outcomes and interaction.

According to Making, effective communication in nursing is linked to increased nursing workers and job satisfaction. "Nursing shortage lies not in the money," she says, "but in increased communication between nurses and hospital administration."(2019). That is to mean, a system that has the nurse playing a crucial role in hospital administration and decision-making is likely to improve nurses' communication. With effective communication, nurses feel they are in control of the practice environment; hence, low turnover rates and no practitioners' shortages in that hospital setting. In any professional, individuals should feel their importance within the workplace. It helps in improving their productivity, which affects the overall performance of the workplace. Therefore, giving power and control to nurses will lead to better communication with patients and team members, improving health outcomes.

Difficult and complicated relations of nurses with patients and team members are leading factors in causing burnout of nurses. Some hospitals show unequal power relationships between nurses, doctors, and their team members, which affects the patient's healthcare and nurses' job satisfaction. Most complaints and errors revolve around miscommunication. Clear and equal communication means that involved parties convey information effectively. However, such skills are not always present in the hospital setting such that nurses might not be in good communication with patients, colleagues, or family members. Lack of effective communication, as mentioned, leads to medical errors and complaints. The more complaints and litigation, the higher the level of stress among professionals. If medical errors reduce, nurses' job satisfaction increases, reducing stress and burnout reports (Darban et al.,2016). Thus, effective communication in nursing can also increase nurses' self-confidence and reduce stress.

In sum, effective communication plays a significant role in the patient's healthcare experience, with nurses carrying the biggest responsibility. Promoting effective communication in nursing can be demanding and challenging due to the work's nature. However, the hospital's working environment needs to have effective communication as it leads to positive patient outcomes, reduced disputes, no nursing shortages, enhanced patient experience, and other benefits. Overall, nurses should feel that nursing is a rewarding, enjoyable, and exciting career with effective communication benefits as it makes their work easier.

References

Darban, F., Balouchi, A., Narouipour, A, Safarzaei, E., & Shahdadi, H. (2016). Effect of Communication Skills Training on the Burnout of Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research. DOI : 10.7860/JCDR/2016/19312.7667

Making, S. D. (2019). Shared Decision Making. Improving patient outcomes by understanding the benefits of and barriers to effective communication. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, Vol. 23 Issue 5, p540-542. 3p DOI:10.1188/19.CJON.540-542

Sibiya, M. N. (2018). Effective Communication in Nursing. Nursing, 19. DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.74995

Tingle, J. (2014). Good communication and a safe healthcare environment. British Journal of Nursing, 23(13), 754-755.DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2014.23.13.754