What are the characteristics of an effective communicator

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a senior nursing student and I feel my communication skills with patients are horrible. :eek: Not intentionally. I feel my school do enough in communication skills. I don't know about other nursing schools but I feel my should improve. I have already made that suggestion at the end of last semester. During our course evaulations. Anyway, I was shy in elementary, junior high and high school but now I am much more outgoing but still I feel like what am I suppose to say to the patient besides ask them questions about their condition and things like that. How should I establish a rapport with them and develop trust at least to some kind of level? I just feel clueless and really scared and worried. I really want to do good and want to do the best that I should be for my level. I start clinicals in one week in the ICU and I am trying to have myself together and organized by the end of this week.

Originally posted by efiebke

Me still try learn kummunikate. . . hard . . . talk. . . tipe, thingy. . .

Ted :)

me a too a i think i may well i me a too a can a talk to a to a'

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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Originally posted by micro

me a too a i think i may well i me a too a can a talk to a to a'

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

sorry for the silly drift off........

i have to agree with two things.......maybe three

1)don't be so hard on yourself

2)it will get easier with time

3)sometimes just being there and holding somebody's hand

micro:zzzzz :zzzzz :zzzzz

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Specializes in CV-ICU.
Originally posted by micro

sorry for the silly drift off........

i have to agree with two things.......maybe three

1)don't be so hard on yourself

2)it will get easier with time

3)sometimes just being there and holding somebody's hand

micro:zzzzz :zzzzz :zzzzz

MICRO! You are scaring me!

1.) You made perfectly good sense.

2.) You wrote in perfectly understandable form

3.) You ent to bed early tonight!

:chuckle :roll :D

Love you girl!

Peaceful2100, it WILL come in time. Even as a shy person, you can talk to those who need your help. You've been given excellent advice here; also remember that listening to what the other person is saying (instead of trying to think up an answer at that point) is what makes an excellent conversationalist.

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Good contirbutions here - once again - good sites thank you Karen

Tookie

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This will come in time. As you become more comfortable with your role as a nurse you will be more comfortable in your communications. For now, just ask the questions and let your patients talk to you. Be a good listener. You will be amazed at how well it will go when your patients actually have someone that will take the time to listen to them. We all know that many of the docs are walking out the door of the patient's rooms as the patient's are trying to tell them something. You will be fine.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU (PCCN); Heme/Onc/BMT.

WHY?!?!?!?

(. . . . or is that, never ask, "Why?" ?!?!?!?)

:confused:

:D

Cheers! :)

Ted

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Originally posted by efiebke

WHY?!?!?!?

(. . . . or is that, never ask, "Why?" ?!?!?!?)

:confused:

:D

Cheers! :)

Ted

:roll

pt. said:

nurse said:

pt. said:

nurse said:

oh the memories of the paperwork..........

:eek:

jenny p.

oh, no micro making sense.....

oh the agony:imbar

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Peaceful2100, it's perfectly natural to be intimidated and a little scared or uncertain on how to communicate with patients without making them feel like they are under interrogation. I agree with Dr. Kate. Start with benign questions, even if you already know the answers, and work from there. It's tough to get used to asking a patient what type of bowel movements they have and whether it burns when they urinate, etc. Just be gentle, explain why you are asking and what you are doing, and chat with them. You'll find that you will reach a certain level of professional detachment where you can ask things without blushing furiously (like I did when I had to catheterize a fully oriented man for the first time--yikes!) hahahahaha.......

seriously, comfort comes with time. Be a good listener, take your time explaining things, and start asking simple questions and work up to the important ones. The trust will develop and you would be suprised at how many of them trust you immediately when they see that you are a nurse. It must be in the swing of the stethoscope.

:)

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There is a big difference between effective communication and making small talk while bathing a patient. When we engage in small talk while bathing our patient we are not trying to do any teaching, nor are we trying to gather critical infromation, we are trying to offer comfort and some small degree of dignity to someone who is forced into a situation where complete strangers see them naked both physically and emotionally. If your task was to provide teaching or to gather a complete medical history I'm guessing you would find it easier to employee effective communication skills, I know I find it easier when I am in control and have a clear goal ;). The more social/emotional communications are much harder for almost all of us. Here you are as a new nurse/student trying to figure out EXACTLY what DO you say to a naked man as you wipe his backside? Trust me, there is no training for this, it just comes with time and confidence in your more "non techincal" skills. I guess this is more the "art" than the "science" part of nursing. Believe it or not, I'm sure you posess more than the necessary "people skills" to allow you to develop into the kind of nurse who can talk about anything with a patient or family. Give yourself time, I have never met a nurse who wasn't a "people" person, after all we sure don't get into nursing for the good hours or the money! ;) You have the caring piece, it's just overwhelmed by the need to "perform" now, you'll find it agian.

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the best quality of an effective communicator is LISTENING

it can also be one of the best gifts you can give your patients :)

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Originally posted by thisnurse

the best quality of an effective communicator is LISTENING

it can also be one of the best gifts you can give your patients :)

ditto, thisnurse,

and letting them know you heard what they are saying....

sometimes just listening, is all it takes,

micro

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Once you graduate and work as a nurse it is easier to communicate with your patient, because you instructor is not hanging over you and grading you. You will develop your own nursing style and communication only you can judge. It is easier to communicate with your patient when the school stress is gone. (I feel). Right now in school, you are going to clinical and doing communication to satisfy the requirements of class. You will also have more to to go to a class or read a book on communication once you graduate.

Good luck with school!

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